The Incidence of Thyroid Cancer Among Breast Cancer Survivors

Clinical Pearls

Jennifer H. Kuo, MD, director, Thyroid Biopsy Program, Columbia University, discusses a study looking at the incidence of thyroid cancer among breast cancer survivors.

• There is an increased risk for the development of thyroid cancer after having breast cancer. The highest risk is among younger patients.
• Adjuvant radiation therapy plays a role in this phenomenon.
• There were higher proportions of tall cell variant papillary, oxyphilic follicular, and anaplastic thyroid cancers observed after breast cancer in this study. These are more aggressive forms of disease compared with what is seen in the regular population.