Prevalence and Histological Subtypes of Thyroid Cancer in the Aljouf Region, Saudi Arabia

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Manar G. Shalabi, Razan Kasem, Nasir A. Nour, Ahmed M. Alwasm, Asaad Babker, Abdulrab Ahmed M. Alkhanjaf, Shawgi A Elsiddig, Rania Saad Suliman, Aisha Ali M Ghazwani, Hatem Mohamed, Ayman Ali Mohammed Alameen, Anass M. Abbas

 
For citation: Shalabi MG, Kasem R, Nour NA, Alwasm AM, Babker A, Alkhanjaf AAM, Elsiddig SA, Suliman RS, Ghazwani AAM, Mohamed H, Alameen AAM, Abbas AM. Prevalence and Histological Subtypes of Thyroid Cancer in the Aljouf Region, Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Biomedicine. 2024;14(3):448-453. doi:10.21103/Article14(3)_OA9
 
Originally published September 6, 2024

Abstract: 

Background: Thyroid cancer, the most common endocrine neoplasm, has a strong female predominance. There has been a steady increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of thyroid cancer and identify its predominant histological subtypes in the Aljuf region of Saudi Arabia. The study findings and new data obtained will contribute to advancing knowledge about thyroid cancer at the national level.
Methods and Results: This retrospective, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Sakaka, Aljouf region, Saudi Arabia. Data from thyroid specimens collected at King Abdul-Aziz Specialist Hospital and Prince Mutaib Hospital between January and December 2022 was analyzed.
Among 3102 histopathological samples and 298 cytology samples received in both hospitals, 181 were thyroid specimens: histopathology samples [63(34.8%)] and fine-needle aspiration (FNA) samples for cytological diagnosis [118 (65.2%)]. The age of patients with thyroid disorders ranged from 17 to 69, with a mean age of 38.4 ± (SD)1.2 years. The highest percentage, 76(42%), were in the age group over 40. The majority of patients with thyroid disorders, 139 (76.8%), were women compared to 42(23.2%) men, giving a female-to-male ratio of 3.3: 1. 165(91.2%) of the study population were Saudi patients, while the non-Saudis represented only 16(8.8%) cases.
Among 181 thyroid specimens, thyroid cancer was diagnosed in 33 patients (18.2%), benign tumors in 43 patients (23.8%) [follicular adenoma 39 (90.7%) and Hürthle cell adenoma 4 (9.3%)], goiter in 96 (53.0% cases), Hashimoto's thyroiditis in 6 cases (3.3%), and chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis in 3 cases (1.7%).
The age of patients with thyroid cancer ranged from 20 to 57 years, with a mean age of 36.9 years. There were 25 (75.8%) females versus 8 (24.2%) males, with a ratio of 3.1:1. Papillary thyroid carcinoma was the most frequent histological subtype among patients with thyroid cancer, accounting for 75.8%, while follicular thyroid carcinoma represented 24.2%.
Among 155 cancer cases, thyroid cancer ranked third (21.3%) after breast cancer (26.4%) and colon adenocarcinoma (23.9%).
Conclusion: Thyroid pathology, including cancer, is notably prevalent among females and older age groups in the Al-Jouf region. Thyroid carcinoma is the third most diagnosed cancer type after breast carcinoma and colon adenocarcinoma in Al-Jouf in 2022. Papillary thyroid carcinoma is the most frequent histological subtype among Saudi patients with thyroid cancer.

Keywords: 
thyroid cancer • papillary thyroid carcinoma • histological subtype • women • Saudi Arabia
References: 
  1. Carling T, Udelsman R. Thyroid cancer. Annu Rev Med. 2014;65:125-37. doi: 10.1146/annurev-med-061512-105739. Epub 2013 Nov 20. PMID: 24274180.
  2. Masone S, Velotti N, Savastano S, Filice E, Serao R, Vitiello A, Berardi G, Schiavone V, Musella M. Morbid Obesity and Thyroid Cancer Rate. A Review of Literature. J Clin Med. 2021 Apr 27;10(9):1894. doi: 10.3390/jcm10091894. PMID: 33925549; PMCID: PMC8123763.
  3. Pizzato M, Li M, Vignat J, Laversanne M, Singh D, La Vecchia C, Vaccarella S. The epidemiological landscape of thyroid cancer worldwide: GLOBOCAN estimates for incidence and mortality rates in 2020. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2022 Apr;10(4):264-272. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(22)00035-3. Epub 2022 Mar 7. PMID: 35271818.
  4. Siegel RL, Miller KD, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2015. CA Cancer J Clin. 2015 Jan-Feb;65(1):5-29. doi: 10.3322/caac.21254. Epub 2015 Jan 5. PMID: 25559415.
  5. Davies L, Welch HG. Increasing incidence of thyroid cancer in the United States, 1973-2002. JAMA. 2006 May 10;295(18):2164-7. doi: 10.1001/jama.295.18.2164. PMID: 16684987.
  6. Lee K, Anastasopoulou C, Chandran C, Cassaro S. Thyroid Cancer. 2023 May 1. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan–. PMID: 29083690.
  7. Siegel RL, Miller KD, Fuchs HE, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2022. CA Cancer J Clin. 2022 Jan;72(1):7-33. doi: 10.3322/caac.21708. Epub 2022 Jan 12. PMID: 35020204.
  8. Hussain F, Iqbal S, Mehmood A, Bazarbashi S, ElHassan T, Chaudhri N. Incidence of thyroid cancer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 2000-2010. Hematol Oncol Stem Cell Ther. 2013 Jun;6(2):58-64. doi: 10.1016/j.hemonc.2013.05.004. Epub 2013 Jun 10. PMID: 23756719.
  9. Alzahrani AS, Alomar H, Alzahrani N. Thyroid Cancer in Saudi Arabia: A Histopathological and Outcome Study. Int J Endocrinol. 2017;2017:8423147. doi: 10.1155/2017/8423147. Epub 2017 Feb 27. PMID: 28348588; PMCID: PMC5350345.
  10. Al-Hakami HA, Alqahtani R, Alahmadi A, Almutairi D, Algarni M, Alandejani T. Thyroid Nodule Size and Prediction of Cancer: A Study at Tertiary Care Hospital in Saudi Arabia. Cureus. 2020 Mar 30;12(3):e7478. doi: 10.7759/cureus.7478. PMID: 32351856; PMCID: PMC7188016.
  11. Hussain F, Iqbal S, Mehmood A, Bazarbashi S, ElHassan T, Chaudhri N. Incidence of thyroid cancer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 2000-2010. Hematol Oncol Stem Cell Ther. 2013 Jun;6(2):58-64. doi: 10.1016/j.hemonc.2013.05.004. Epub 2013 Jun 10. PMID: 23756719.
  12. Flemban AF, Kabrah S, Alahmadi H, Alqurashi RK, Turaes AS, Almaghrabi R, Al Harbi S, Khogeer AA. Patterns of Thyroid Cancer Mortality and Incidence in Saudi Arabia: A 30-Year Study. Diagnostics (Basel). 2022 Nov 7;12(11):2716. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics12112716. PMID: 36359559; PMCID: PMC9689402.
  13. Althubiti MA, Nour Eldein MM. Trends in the incidence and mortality of cancer in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J. 2018 Dec;39(12):1259-1262. doi: 10.15537/smj.2018.12.23348. PMID: 30520511; PMCID: PMC6344657.
  14. Bogović Crnčić T, Ilić Tomaš M, Girotto N, Grbac Ivanković S. Risk Factors for Thyroid Cancer: What Do We Know So Far? Acta Clin Croat. 2020 Jun;59(Suppl 1):66-72. doi: 10.20471/acc.2020.59.s1.08. PMID: 34219886; PMCID: PMC8212601.
  15. Cao Y, Wang Z, Gu J, Hu F, Qi Y, Yin Q, Sun Q, Li G, Quan B. Reproductive Factors but Not Hormonal Factors Associated with Thyroid Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:103515. doi: 10.1155/2015/103515. Epub 2015 Aug 3. PMID: 26339585; PMCID: PMC4538312.
  16. Nguyen QT, Lee EJ, Huang MG, Park YI, Khullar A, Plodkowski RA. Diagnosis and treatment of patients with thyroid cancer. Am Health Drug Benefits. 2015 Feb;8(1):30-40. PMID: 25964831; PMCID: PMC4415174.
  17. Qari FA. Pattern of thyroid malignancy at a University Hospital in Western Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J. 2004 Jul;25(7):866-70. PMID: 15235690.
  18. Alrasheedi AO, Alsahli MA, Alreshidi IG, Alenezi SD, Zuhair AA, Alabeeri KG, Ahmed HG. Patterns of thyroid disorders and associated metabolic changes in Northern Saudi Arabia. European Journal of Biomedical. 2016;3(3):578-583.
  19. Samargandy S, Qari R, Aljadani A, Assaqaf D Sr, Etaiwi A, Alghamdi D, Marzouki H, Alhozali A, Merdad M, Al-Hajeili M. Clinicopathological Characteristics of Thyroid Cancer in a Saudi Academic Hospital. Cureus. 2020 May 10;12(5):e8044. doi: 10.7759/cureus.8044. PMID: 32528780; PMCID: PMC7282375.
  20. Aljarbou A, Morgan A, Alshaalan F, Alshehri D, Alshathri M, Alsayyali K. The Patterns of Surgically Treated Thyroid Disease in Central Rural Region of Saudi Arabia. The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine.2018;70(6):1066-1071.
  21. Gajowiec A, Chromik A, Furga K, Skuza A, Gąsior-Perczak D, Walczyk A, Pałyga I, Trybek T, Mikina E, Szymonek M, Gadawska-Juszczyk K, Kuchareczko A, Suligowska A, Jaskulski J, Orłowski P, Chrapek M, Góźdź S, Kowalska A. Is Male Sex A Prognostic Factor in Papillary Thyroid Cancer? J Clin Med. 2021 May 31;10(11):2438. doi: 10.3390/jcm10112438. PMID: 34072690; PMCID: PMC8199349.
  22. Albasri A, Sawaf Z, Hussainy AS, Alhujaily A. Histopathological patterns of thyroid disease in Al-Madinah region of Saudi Arabia. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2014;15(14):5565-70. doi: 10.7314/apjcp.2014.15.14.5565. PMID: 25081665.
  23. Alkaff HH, Besharah BO, Bukhari DH, Sayed SI, Alessa MA, Abdelmonim SK, Alghamdi SA, Alghamdi FE, Abu Suliman OA, Abi Sheffah FR, Al-Tammas AH, Al-Zahrani RA, Marglani OA, Heaphy JC, Bawazir OA, Alherabi AZ. Thyroid neoplasm in Makkah region, Saudi Arabia. A retrospective epidemiological study. Saudi Med J. 2020 Dec;41(12):1330-1335. doi: 10.15537/smj.2020.12.25575. PMID: 33294891; PMCID: PMC7841587.
  24. Refeidi AA, Al-Shehri GY, Al-Ahmary AM, Tahtouh MI, Alsareii SA, Al-Ghamdi AG, Mahfouz AA, Abu-Eshy SA. Patterns of thyroid cancer in Southwestern Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J. 2010 Nov;31(11):1238-41. PMID: 21063655.

Download Article
Received July 17, 2024.
Accepted August 28, 2024.
©2024 International Medical Research and Development Corporation.