Skip Navigation

American Journal of Epidemiology 2005 161(11):1056-1065; doi:10.1093/aje/kwi136
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (6)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Truong, T.
Right arrow Articles by Guénel, P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Truong, T.
Right arrow Articles by Guénel, P.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

American Journal of Epidemiology Copyright © 2005 by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health All rights reserved

ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Role of Goiter and of Menstrual and Reproductive Factors in Thyroid Cancer: A Population-based Case-Control Study in New Caledonia (South Pacific), a Very High Incidence Area

Thérèse Truong1, Laurent Orsi1, Dominique Dubourdieu2, Yannick Rougier3, Denis Hémon1 and Pascal Guénel1

1 INSERM (National Institute of Health and Medical Research) U170 - IFR69, Villejuif, France
2 Laboratory of Anatomy and Cytopathology, Nouméa, New Caledonia
3 Pasteur Institute of New Caledonia, Nouméa, New Caledonia

Reprint requests to Dr. Pascal Guénel, INSERM U170, 16 avenue Paul Vaillant-Couturier, 94807 Villejuif Cedex, France (e-mail: guenel{at}vjf.inserm.fr).

Exceptionally high incidence rates of thyroid cancer have been reported for Melanesian women in New Caledonia (South Pacific). To investigate the occurrence of thyroid cancer in that country and to clarify the role of goiter and hormonal factors in that disease in women, a countrywide population-based case-control study was conducted in 1993–1999. The study included 293 cases, identified through pathology registers and whose thyroid cancer was verified histologically, and 354 population controls. Thyroid cancer was associated with goiter, age at menarche, irregular menstruation, and hysterectomy. There was a dose-response trend with number of full-term pregnancies (p = 0.01), with an odds ratio of 2.2 (95% confidence interval: 1.1, 4.3) for women with eight or more pregnancies. Miscarriage, particularly as an outcome of the first pregnancy, was also indicated as a risk factor. The association between voluntary abortion and thyroid microcarcinoma could be explained by enhanced medical surveillance and improved cancer detection in women undergoing abortion. Oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy were unrelated to thyroid cancer. The very high birth rate among Melanesian women in New Caledonia, as well as late age at menarche, may explain, in part, their elevated incidence of thyroid cancer.

case-control studies; goiter; menarche; menopause; New Caledonia; pregnancy; thyroid neoplasms

Abbreviations: OR, odds ratio


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am J EpidemiolHome page
P. Brindel, F. Doyon, F. Rachedi, J.-L. Boissin, J. Sebbag, L. Shan, V. Chungue, L. Y. K. Sun, F. Bost-Bezeaud, P. Petitdidier, et al.
Menstrual and Reproductive Factors in the Risk of Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma in Native Women in French Polynesia: A Population-based Case-Control Study
Am. J. Epidemiol., January 15, 2008; 167(2): 219 - 229.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann OncolHome page
G. Corrao, A. Zambon, V. Conti, F. Nicotra, C. La Vecchia, C. Fornari, G. Cesana, P. Contiero, G. Tagliabue, R. E. Nappi, et al.
Menopause hormone replacement therapy and cancer risk: an Italian record linkage investigation
Ann. Onc., January 1, 2008; 19(1): 150 - 155.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am J EpidemiolHome page
R. Guignard, T. Truong, Y. Rougier, D. Baron-Dubourdieu, and P. Guenel
Alcohol Drinking, Tobacco Smoking, and Anthropometric Characteristics as Risk Factors for Thyroid Cancer: A Countrywide Case-Control Study in New Caledonia
Am. J. Epidemiol., November 15, 2007; 166(10): 1140 - 1149.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Vet PatholHome page
K. A. B. Knostman, S. M. Jhiang, and C. C. Capen
Genetic Alterations in Thyroid Cancer: The Role of Mouse Models
Vet. Pathol., January 1, 2007; 44(1): 1 - 14.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.