[Association between preoperative serum thyroid-stimulating hormone level and nonfunctioning malignant nodule thyroid...

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Oncology
• Thyroid disease research

Background:

• Nodular thyroid disease is common, with a subset of nodules being malignant.
• Accurate prediction of malignancy in nodular thyroid disease is crucial for appropriate patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if preoperative serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels can predict malignancy in patients with nodular thyroid disease.
• To investigate the association between TSH levels and the incidence of thyroid cancer.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 108 patients who underwent surgery for thyroid tumors.
• Data included preoperative serum TSH, gender, age, tumor characteristics, and pathological findings.
• Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify risk factors for thyroid cancer.

Main Results:

• Patients with thyroid cancer exhibited significantly higher mean serum TSH levels compared to those with benign tumors (1.94±1.01 mIU/L vs 1.16±0.85 mIU/L).
• A malignancy rate of 35.9% was observed in patients with TSH levels above the population mean, versus 15.9% in those below the mean.
• High serum TSH, male gender, and age ≥45 years were identified as independent risk factors for thyroid cancer.

Conclusions:

• Preoperative serum TSH levels show potential utility in predicting the likelihood of thyroid cancer.
• Elevated TSH, male sex, and advanced age (≥45 years) are significant risk factors associated with thyroid cancer.