Second primary malignancies in thyroid cancer patients C Rubino1, F de Vathaire1, M E Dottorini2, P Hall3, C Schvartz4, J E Couette5, M G Dondon1, M T Abbas1, C Langlois5 and M Schlumberger6 1Unite INSERM XUR521, Gustave Roussy Institute, 39 rue Camille Desmoulins, Villejuif 94 805, France 2Nuclear Medicine Department, Ospedale Civile di Legnano, via Candiani 2, Legnano (Mi) I20025, Italy 3Department of Medical Epidemiology, Karolinska Institute, Berzelius Vag 15 c, Stockholm 17177, Sweden 4Nuclear Medicine Department, Jean Godinot Institute, 1 rue du Général K nig, Reims 51056, France 5Nuclear Medicine Department, François Baclesse Institute, route de Lion-sur-Mer, Caen 14076, France 6Nuclear Medicine Department, Gustave Roussy Institute, 39 rue Camille Desmoulins, Villejuif 94 805, France Correspondence to: F de Vathaire, E-mail: fdv@igr.fr The late health effects associated with radioiodine (131I) given as treatment for thyroid cancer are difficult to assess since the number of thyroid cancer patients treated at each centre is limited. The risk of second primary malignancies (SPMs) was evaluated in a European cohort of thyroid cancer patients. A common database was obtained by pooling the 2-year survivors of the three major Swedish, Italian, and French cohorts of papillary and follicular thyroid cancer patients. A time-dependent analysis using external comparison was performed. The study concerned 6841 thyroid cancer patients, diagnosed during the period 1934-1995, at a mean age of 44 years. In all, 17% were treated with external radiotherapy and 62% received 131I. In total, 576 patients were diagnosed with a SPM. Compared to the general population of each of the three countries, an overall significantly increased risk of SPM of 27% (95% CI: 15-40) was seen in the European cohort. An increased risk of both solid tumours and leukaemias was found with increasing cumulative activity of 131I administered, with an excess absolute risk of 14.4 solid cancers and of 0.8 leukaemias per GBq of 131I and 105 person-years of follow-up. A relationship was found between 131I administration and occurrence of bone and soft tissue, colorectal, and salivary gland cancers. These results strongly highlight the necessity to delineate the indications of 131I treatment in thyroid cancer patients in order to restrict its use to patients in whom clinical benefits are expected. British Journal of Cancer (2003) 89, 1638-1644. Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.