PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Shomaf, Maha S.
AU  - Younes, Nidal A.
AU  - Albsoul, Nader M.
AU  - Musmar, Ayman A.
AU  - Al-Zaheri, Mohammed M.
AU  - Tarawneh, Musleh S.
AU  - Sroujieh, Ahmad S.
TI  - New trends in the clinicopathological features of differentiated thyroid cancer in Central Jordan
DP  - 2006 Feb 01
TA  - Saudi Medical Journal
PG  - 185--190
VI  - 27
IP  - 2
4099  - http://smj.org.sa/content/27/2/185.short
4100  - http://smj.org.sa/content/27/2/185.full
SO  - Saudi Med J2006 Feb 01; 27
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current trends in presentation and distribution of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) at the largest referral hospital for endocrine cancers in Central Jordan.METHODS: We analyzed the clinical features, management and outcome of 110 patients diagnosed with thyroid carcinoma at Jordan University Hospital, Amman, between 1996 and 2001.RESULTS: Papillary carcinoma was diagnosed in 87 patients (80%), follicular carcinoma in 3 patients (2.7%), Hurthle cell carcinoma in 8 patients (7.3%), medullary carcinoma in 5 (4.5%), and anaplastic carcinoma in 4 patients (3.6%), metastatic cancer in 2 patients and lymphoma in one patient. Time course analysis showed an increasing trend in surgery for thyroid cancer from 28 cases in 1986-1991 to 48 in 1996-2001. As time advanced, the incidence of locally invasive disease and lymph node involvement markedly increased over the last 5 years of the study (from 28-62%). All patients with follicular carcinoma were diagnosed in the period 1986-1994. After thyroidectomy and a follow up period of 2-15 years, 10 patients died of their disease, 4 of these died within one year from anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.CONCLUSION: The dramatic decline in the incidence of follicular thyroid carcinoma combined with the increase in the advanced forms of thyroid cancer in Central Jordan may suggest a possible environmental factor in thyroid carcinogenesis in this region. We suggest a larger scale studies and steps to investigate the etiologic factors for thyroid carcinogenesis in Central Jordan.