Critical analysis is provided by the authors on cytologic examination combined with histology of 131 patients with thyroid alterations. Cytologic examination yielded seven false-negative and four false-positive findings. Sensitivity of the procedure was 0.78 and the specificity 0.97. Aspiration cytology of the thyroid gland combined with other methods of examination can be considered an advance in the diagnostics of thyroid diseases.
The highly differentiated thyroid tumours account for 0.80% of all human malignancies. The papillary and follicular tumour tissues of this tumour type are relatively benign, hormone-dependent and beside their treatment specificity they secrete the tumour-specific thyroglobulin. This it becomes possible to follow the development of metastases, the effectiveness of therapy applied as well as the history of the disease. The authors studied the change of thyroglobulin level in 153 patients with highly differentiated thyroid cancer. In 29 of 32 metastatic patients a pathologically elevated (70–100 ng/ml) thyroglobulin level was observed. This proves the 91% specificity of the method in verified metastatic tumours. Compared to the total body scintigraphy 3 false-negative and 6 false-positive cases were found. The authors establish that, irrespective of the site of metastasis, the thyroglobulin level is higher in the follicular than in the papillary subtype. It is concluded that the measurement of the serum thyroglobulin level is a suitable marker of the highly differentiated thyroid cancer since it indicates local recurrence or distant metastases by a significant increase while therapy-resultant tumour diminution is accompanied by a marked decrease.
Between 1965 and 1987 the authors studied the survival of 169 patients (130 females, 39 males) suffering from follicular thyroid cancer. It is established that the factors favorably influencing the course of the disease are as follows: age below 40 years, female sex, tumor location inside the thyroid capsule. Radical surgery does not affect the survival, though it prolongs the time to the onset of metastases. In women below 40 years of age, iodine treatment performed within 1.5 months following surgery does not increase the effectiveness; therefore, its routine application is not recommended. In case of local metastases associated with hindered swallowing or respiration, external beam radiotherapy is indicated. Hormone substitution ensuring TSH restriction results in improved prognosis.
Gross cystic disease (GCD) of the breast may be associated with a higher risk for the development of breast cancer. High levels of sex steroids, steroid hormone precursors, prolactin and cations have been found in breast cyst fluid (BCF) by several investigators. Accordingly, endocrine parameters and the cationic composition of BCF may be considered as useful characteristics to follow patients bearing macrocysts. In this study we have investigated the concentrations of estradiol (E2), progesterone, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) and DHA-3-sulfate (DHA-S), prolactin, potassium (K+) and sodium (Na+) in BCF aspirated from 99 women. The mean age of the patients was 49.8 years (range 32-58). The hormone levels were measured by RIA methods; K+ and Na+ were determined by flame photometry. Estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, DHA, DHA-S, prolactin and K+ showed significant accumulation in the BCF compared with their respective serum values. The K+/Na+ ratio proved to be useful in dividing cysts into type I (≥1), type II (<1 but ≥0.1) and type III (<0.1) subgroups. For type I BCF, higher DHA, DHA-S and prolactin concentrations were detected. Linear regression analysis established a highly significant (P<0.001) correlation between the concentrations of E2 and DHA-S (r=0.686), and also between testosterone and DHA-S (r=0.711). These findings indicate that type I BCF might be a marker for 'active' GCD of the breast, and suggest that it may be associated with an increased breast cancer risk, since this group of patients is supposed to have cysts with apocrine metaplasia. It is suggested therefore that when BCF is aspirated, sex steroids, steroid precursors and cations should be routinely measured, and women with type I cysts should be regularly examined.
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