Search is Powered by Google
Follow us on:
Follow our health news on Twitter
Follow Our News on Facebook
Personalization
login | register
Liver Disease / Hepatitis News

Hypothyroidism In Women Associated With Liver Cancer

Main Category: Liver Disease / Hepatitis
Also Included In: Endocrinology;  Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 06 May 2009 - 2:00 PST

email icon email to a friend   printer icon printer friendly   write icon view / write opinions
Current Article Ratings:

Patient / Public:5 stars

5 (1 votes)

Health Professional:5 stars

5 (1 votes)

Article Opinions: 0 posts

Women with a history of hypothyroidism face a significantly higher risk of developing liver cancer, according to a new study in the May issue of Hepatology, a journal published by John Wiley & Sons on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). The article is also available online at Wiley Interscience (http://www.interscience.wiley.com).

Hypothyroidism is the most common thyroid disorder among U.S. adults, affecting between 8 and 12 percent of the U.S. population, and more women than men. The condition can cause hyperlipidemia and weight gain and may play a role in the development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis which can progress to more severe liver disease. Studies have also suggested a clinical association between hypothyroidism and hepatitis C, which is contributing to the country's rising rate of liver cancer.

Researchers, led by Manal Hassan of Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, designed a case-control study to better understand the association between hypothyroidism and the development of liver cancer, also known as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), in the U.S.

They included 420 patients with liver cancer and 1,104 healthy controls. From each subject, the researchers gathered demographic data and information about liver cancer risk factors, like smoking, alcohol consumption and family cancer history. The participants were also asked about their history of thyroid conditions and obesity. They provided blood samples that were tested for hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

About 15 percent of the liver cancer patients had a history of thyroid disease, compared to about 12 percent of the healthy controls. Subjects with a history of hypothyroidism had twice the risk of liver cancer; however the relationship was only significant for females.

Women who had a prior history of hypothyroidism for more than 10 years had a threefold higher risk of liver cancer compared to women without a history of thyroid disorders. Adjusting for obesity did not change the association.

"Whether and why hypothyroidism causes HCC is not clear," the authors write. "However, the association between hypothyroidism and NASH can be explained by the underlying hyperlipidemia, decreased fatty acid oxidation insulin resistance and lipid peroxidation in patients with hypothyroidism." And these conditions may make the patient susceptible to HCC development.

"Further studies among different populations are warranted to confirm the association between hypothyroidism and HCC and to identify the underlying biological mechanisms and the genetic predisposition factors that may contribute to susceptibility to HCC development in the presence of thyroid disorders," the authors conclude.

Article: "Association Between Hypothyroidism and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: USA Case-Control Study." Hassan, Manal; Kaseb, Ahmed; Li, Donghui; Patt, Yehuda; Vauthey, Jean-Nicolas; Thomas, Melanie; Curley, Steven A.; Spitz, Margaret; Sherman, Steven; Abdalla, Eddie; Davila, Marta; Lozano, Richard; Hassan, Deena; Chan, Wenyaw; Brown, Thomas; Abbruzzese, James. Hepatology; May 2009.

Source:
Sean Wagner
Wiley-Blackwell




Personalized Homepage Weekly Newsletters Daily News Alerts
Hemophilia Opioid Induced Constipation Pneumococcal Disease ADHD Anxiety Asthma Atrial Fibrillation Autism Cancer Diabetes Lung Cancer Lupus Medicare / Medicaid Obesity and BMI Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells All 'What Is...' Articles

Ophthalmology Urology
About Us News Licensing Free Website Feeds Free Tools & Content Tell a Friend Accessibility Help / FAQ Article Submission Links Contact Us

add medical news today to your facebook
medical news gadget

Haiti Appeal

Haiti Appeal Image
The severe earthquake that struck Haiti has inflicted damage and devastation on a massive scale. Please donate to the Doctors Without Borders Haiti Appeal.

PLEASE DONATE HERE


These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Top Article Star
Acetaminophen-Related Liver Damage May Be Prevented By Common Herbal Medicine
18 Nov 2009
A well-known Eastern medicine supplement may help avoid the most common cause of liver transplantation, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine...


Improving Health Care image Improving Health Care

Improvements are necessary to make sure Americans get the best quality health care and that money for this care is being spent as effectively as possible. Listen as experts -- both in government and in the private sector -- describe some of the steps taken to improve the health care system...

Alcoholism: Diagnosis and Treatment image Alcoholism: Diagnosis and Treatment

What are the symptoms of alcoholism? When should you worry? Our panel discusses the causes and warning signs of alcoholism and how to recognize them...

View more videos...