The Pattern of Thyroid Function Test in Thyroid Carcinoma View PDF

Abdul Samad Riyadh Ibrahim
Medicine, Alsadder Teaching Hospital, Basrah Health Directorate, Basrah, Iraq
Hameed Raffish Hellow
Medicine, Alsadder Teaching Hospital, Basrah Health Directorate, Basrah, Iraq
^*Lara Mezher Jasim
Medicine, Alsadder Teaching Hospital, Basrah Health Directorate, Basrah, Iraq

^*Corresponding Author:

Lara Mezher Jasim
Medicine, Alsadder Teaching Hospital, Basrah Health Directorate, Basrah, Iraq

Published on: 2026-02-18

Abstract

Background: In the United States, thyroid cancer is estimated to be the 13th most commonly diagnosed cancer, accounting for nearly 44,000 new cancer diagnoses in 2022 (2.3% of the total), and the 6th most commonly diagnosed cancer among women. In Iraq, thyroid cancer showed a significantly elevated trend from 2007 to 2016, from 0.62 to 2.96/100 000. The male to female ratio was 2.5:1.

Methods: A cross-sectional, retrospective study was carried out in Al-Sadr teaching hospital, Al-Basrah. A total of (50) patients were recruited over a 12-month period, from the first of October 2022 through October 2023. A special data form was designed for the purpose of the study, was used and included selected patients’ socio-demographic variables (such as age, gender, and address), any previous signs and symptoms such as tachycardia, tremors, weight changes, voice changes, presence of goiter, exophthalmos, respiratory difficulty, and other symptoms, and preoperative fine-needle aspiration (FNA) was done.

Results: Most prior investigations have demonstrated a favorable correlation between thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), the primary regulator of thyroid hormone, and the development of differentiated thyroid neoplasms mediated by TSH receptors. Our study showed thyroid function status among the studied patients. Overall, of the total 50 patients included in this study, 35 patients (70%) were euthyroid, while 8 patients (16%) had hypothyroidism, and the remaining 7 patients (14%) had hyperthyroidism.

Conclusion: Our study showed that the majority of the enrolled patients with thyroid cancer had normal thyroid function status, followed by hypothyroidism, while the minority had hyperthyroidism.

Keywords

Thyroid cancer, Fine-needle aspiration, Thyroid-stimulating hormone, Hypothyroidism, Hyperthyroidism

Introduction

The thyroid is an endocrine gland, located in the inferior, anterior aspect of the neck and regulates the body’s iodine balance in addition to the production and secretion of thyroid hormones [1]. About 90% of the inactive thyroid hormone, or thyroxine (T4), and 10% of the active thyroid hormone, or triiodothyronine (T3), are produced by the thyroid. Peripherally, inactive thyroid hormone is changed into either activated thyroid hormone or another kind of inactive thyroid hormone [2]. T3 influences numerous organs and tissues throughout the body, perhaps leading to an increase in protein synthesis and metabolic rate. The cells known as parafollicular cells, or C cells, are in charge of producing and secreting calcitonin [2].

A tumor of the thyroid parenchymal cells is called thyroid cancer. Thyroid follicular cells, which give rise to differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), and parafollicular or C-cells, which give rise to medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), make up the two main cell types of the thyroid parenchyma. DTC includes follicular thyroid cancer (FTC), Hurthle cell cancer, and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), which together make up 90 - 95% of thyroid cancer cases. Of all thyroid malignancies, anaplastic thyroid carcinoma makes up less than 1% while MTC makes up between 1% and 2% [3]. In the United States, thyroid cancer is estimated to be the 13th most commonly diagnosed cancer, accounting for nearly 44,000 new cancer diagnoses in 2022 (2.3% of the total), and the 6th most commonly diagnosed cancer among women [4]. In Iraq, thyroid cancer showed a significantly elevated trend from 2007 to 2016, from 0.62 to 2.96/100,000. The male to female ratio was 2.5:1 [5].