Thyroid Cancer 101: Age and Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid Cancer 101: Age and Thyroid Cancer

RAI/131 therapy best when young

BRAFF and other markers are change as you age.

Dr.Guttler’s Comments on the article.

Eliminating the Age Cutoff in Staging of Thyroid Cancer

Ylli Dorina et al

JCEM May 2018 103(5) 1813-1817

1. Thyroid cancer is unique as it has an age factor in staging.
2. Age 45 has been increased to 55 in 2018.
3. There is no specific age cutoff but is a continuous variable.
4. No other cancer has a age cutoff as an important role in  staging.
5. Theories of age relation in thyroid cancer.
6. RAI treatment in young patients have good responses and better prognosis.
7. TSH increases with age. This can increase cancer incidence in aging population and more tumor growth.
8. Genetic mutations are different with age. This can cause problems with RAI therapy and cause worse prognosis.
9. Increased mortality due to other causes can confound whether mortality was due to thyroid cancer.
10. LH and FSH increase with menopause. These increase thyroid cancer  growth and invasion due to stimulation of TSH receptor by common subunit shared with TSH.
11. No specific cutoff seems the best for age and thyroid cancer.
12. A gradual variable or continuous variable for age and thyroid cancer.
13.  C.S. Lewis quote: ” the safest road…is the gradual one-the gentle slope,soft underfoot,without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts: