Association Between Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease and Thyroid Cancer.

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Endocrinology
• Oncology

Background:

• Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a liver manifestation of metabolic syndrome.
• The relationship between MASLD and thyroid cancer risk is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between MASLD, cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRF), and thyroid cancer incidence in a Korean population.
• To examine the continuum of liver disease, from steatotic liver disease (SLD) with CMRF to MASLD and metabolic/alcohol-related liver disease (MetALD), in relation to thyroid cancer risk.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 214,502 Korean adults (≥40 years) from the National Health Screening Program (2009-2010) was analyzed.
• Participants were categorized based on SLD and CMRF status: no SLD without CMRF, no SLD with CMRF, MASLD, and MetALD.
• Thyroid cancer incidence was tracked over a mean follow-up of 9.61 years using multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models.

Main Results:

• A total of 2761 (1.3%) participants developed thyroid cancer.
• Compared to those without CMRF and SLD, individuals with CMRF (HR 1.33), MASLD (HR 1.36), and MetALD (HR 1.40) had significantly higher thyroid cancer risk.
• MetALD showed a significant association with thyroid cancer incidence specifically in men.

Conclusions:

• MASLD and MetALD, in addition to CMRF, are associated with an increased incidence of thyroid cancer in the Korean population.
• This study provides novel evidence for the association between the CMRF-MASLD-MetALD continuum and thyroid cancer risk.