The Association Between Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Thyroid Cancer – Myth or Reality?

The association between Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and differentiated thyroid cancer has been discussed in the literature, but the relationship is still controversial. The coexistence of these two diseases is reported in up to 30% of cases, suggesting that there might be a pathophysiological and causative link between them. On the other hand, the presence of thyroiditis may indicate a lower recurrence rate and a better prognosis of thyroid cancer. The diagnosis and follow-up in these cases may be challenging even for experts and requires a wide range of laboratory, ultrasound, and morphology criteria in addition to an individualized approach.

The aim of the present review is to summarize the available evidence for the link between Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and differentiated thyroid cancer with the emphasis on epidemiology, clinical manifestation and prognostic outcome of thyroid carcinoma associated with autoimmune thyroiditis. The biological explanation of the link between HT and DTC, as well as the biomolecular profiles of the two conditions are also discussed.

Keywords: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, thyroid carcinoma, RET/PTC rearrangements