Thyroid carcinoma in elderly people: Characterization using big data tools

To determine the clinical-histological data associated comorbidities and the use of health resources of elderly patients with thyroid cancer.

An observational, retrospective study was carried out using data from the electronic medical record (EMR) of the Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda (Madrid, Spain). The information was extracted using artificial intelligence techniques and analysed using the Savana Manager 3.0 software. We differentiated between younger people (0-59 years) and older people (60 or more years) and, within this latter group, between people of advanced age (60-74 years) and elderly people (75 or more years).

Of a total of 509,517 patients, 1781 (0.35%) were diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Compared to younger patients, older patients presented a lower proportion of papillary carcinoma (64.2% vs. 75.3%) as well as a higher proportion of follicular carcinoma (9.3% vs. 5.0%) and other histological types (26.5% vs. 19.7%; p < 0.001). Young people with thyroid cancer exhibited prevalences of risk factors and most of the cardiovascular diseases studied significantly higher than those found in the general population. Elderly patients, compared with those of advanced age, showed greater comorbidity. However, a trend towards a lower consumption of healthcare resources was observed when elderly patients were compared with those of advanced age.

The clinical characteristics, comorbidities and consumption of health resources of patients with thyroid cancer vary markedly with age. Elderly patients are characterized by a high burden of comorbidities that is not accompanied by a notable increase in their consumption of health resources.