[A database for thyroid diseases: evaluation with special reference to potential consequences of a nuclear power...

The concept of a thyroid disease register based on a relational database system with a structured query language (SQL) is reported. More than 5000 examination findings of benign and malignant thyroid disorders have been recorded so far, covering the period from 1986 to 1996. For epidemiological studies these population-based thyroid diseases data can be allocated to a digital data map by means of the five-digit German postal code. When evaluating the data with regard to the function of the thyroid gland as an indicator of preceding nuclear power plant disasters and fallout, we found neither indicators of an increased incidence of thyroid carcinoma as an aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster nor the occurrence of clusters. The data were supplemented by the results of a survey among all Schleswig-Holstein pathologists involved in the diagnosis of thyroid diseases. Data on childhood carcinoma of the thyroid were also provided by the Childhood Tumor Register of the Institute of Pathology, University of Kiel, and by the Childhood Cancer Register of the University of Mainz.