Epidemiology of Thyroid Carcinomas in North Macedonia (1999-2015).

OBJECTIVE: We have set as objective to analyze epidemiological data of diagnosed thyroid carcinoma (TC) cases, incidence and prevalence rate by gender, age, histopathological type, and statistical regions in R. of N. Macedonia during the period 1999 to 2015. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of medical data collected from the 2 state thyroid departments. Inclusion criteria included newly diagnosed cases of TC in appropriate years for the period 1999 to 2015. We have evaluated: yearly incidence rate, incidence and prevalence by gender, age, the distribution in 8 statistical state regions and histopathological types and subtypes representation. RESULTS: A total number of 422 TC patients were detected, average incidence rate of 1.22/105, with most prevalent papillary TCs79.5%, followed by follicular 10.9%, medullar 4.1%, anaplastic 3.1%, and other rare types with 2.3%. The highest incidence rate was detected in Skopje region, while the lowest in Southeast and the Polog region. The total prevalence rate for the female gender was 32.61/104 and for male 9.27/104 (f/m ratio = 3.52:1), with lowest female/male difference found in the elderly > 65 years (f/m = 2.21/1). CONCLUSION: Compared with regional epidemiological data we can conclude that Republic of N. Macedonia has very low incidence and prevalence rate, while female/male ratio was similar to that described in the literature. Our low incidence and prevalence rate may be due to 2 possible reasons, 1 would be insufficient diagnosis of only small portion of the real cases in the population, or the second reason may be a real low incidence resulting of specific etiopathogenetic circumstances.

Prognostic factors in thyroid carcinomas: a 17-year outcome study

ABSTRACT Objectives The aim of our study was to evaluate the survival rate of all thyroid carcinomas (TCs) diagnosed in the 1999-2015 period in the Republic of North Macedonia and to analyze the prognostic influence of several characteristics on development of distant metastases, as well as to analyze the prognostic effect of seven clinical and constitutional features on mortality. Material and methods A retrospective analysis of medical data from all TCs diagnosed in 1999-2015 was performed. The survival rate of all types of TCs was estimated using the Kaplan Meier method. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied for evaluation of the predictive role of seven clinical and constitutional characteristics for development of distant metastases, and the univariate Cox-proportional model was applied for evaluation of the predictors for mortality. Results A total of 422 TC cases were diagnosed in the 17-year period, with an average survival time of 212.99 months. Results of the univariate regression analysis showed that dimension at initial ultrasound and histopathological type of tumor were significantly predictive variables for distant metastases. Multifocal tumors vs. unifocal tumors < 15 mm significantly increased the probability of distant metastases by 7.401 (p = 0.005, 95% CI = 1.817-30.190) times. Age, initial lymph node involvement, number of radioiodine therapies, and histopathology of the tumor were selected as independent significant predictors for mortality. Conclusion Our results showed an excellent overall prognosis of thyroid tumors in the Macedonian population. The dimension of the tumor, multifocality, and histopathological type were the most relevant prognostic predictive features for development of distant metastases.

Prognostic factors in thyroid carcinomas: a 17-year outcome study.

Objectives The aim of our study was to evaluate the survival rate of all thyroid carcinomas (TCs) diagnosed in the 1999-2015 period in the Republic of North Macedonia and to analyze the prognostic influence of several characteristics on development of distant metastases, as well as to analyze the prognostic effect of seven clinical and constitutional features on mortality. Material and methods A retrospective analysis of medical data from all TCs diagnosed in 1999-2015 was performed. The survival rate of all types of TCs was estimated using the Kaplan Meier method. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied for evaluation of the predictive role of seven clinical and constitutional characteristics for development of distant metastases, and the univariate Cox-proportional model was applied for evaluation of the predictors for mortality. Results A total of 422 TC cases were diagnosed in the 17-year period, with an average survival time of 212.99 months. Results of the univariate regression analysis showed that dimension at initial ultrasound and histopathological type of tumor were significantly predictive variables for distant metastases. Multifocal tumors vs. unifocal tumors < 15 mm significantly increased the probability of distant metastases by 7.401 (p = 0.005, 95% CI = 1.817-30.190) times. Age, initial lymph node involvement, number of radioiodine therapies, and histopathology of the tumor were selected as independent significant predictors for mortality. Conclusion Our results showed an excellent overall prognosis of thyroid tumors in the Macedonian population. The dimension of the tumor, multifocality, and histopathological type were the most relevant prognostic predictive features for development of distant metastases.