Hyperthyroidism is associated with breast cancer risk and mammographic and genetic risk predictors

Despite the biological link between thyroid hormones and breast cancer cell proliferation shown in experimental studies, little is known about the association between hyperthyroidism and breast cancer, as well as its association with the most common mammographic and genetic risk predictors for breast cancer.

This study estimates the incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of breast cancer among women diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, compared to those who are not, using two cohorts: a Swedish national cohort of the general female population (n = 3,793,492, 2002-2011) and the Karolinska Mammography Project for Risk Prediction of Breast Cancer (KARMA, n = 69,598, 2002-2017). We used logistic regression to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) of hyperthyroidism according to the mammographic and genetic risk predictors for breast cancer.

An increased risk of breast cancer was observed in patients in the national cohort with hyperthyroidism (IRR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.12-1.36), particularly for toxic nodular goiter (IRR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.16-1.63). Hyperthyroidism was associated with higher body mass index, early age at first birth, and lower breastfeeding duration. Higher mammographic density was observed in women with toxic nodular goiter, compared to women without hyperthyroidism. Additionally, among genotyped women without breast cancer in the KARMA cohort (N = 11,991), hyperthyroidism was associated with a high polygenic risk score (PRS) for breast cancer overall (OR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.09-3.60) and for estrogen receptor-positive specific PRS (OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.04-3.43).

Hyperthyroidism is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, particularly for patients with toxic nodular goiter. The association could be explained by higher mammographic density among these women, as well as pleiotropic genetic variants determining shared hormonal/endocrine factors leading to the pathology of both diseases.