Thyroid cancer in pregnancy

Objective: To compare stage at diagnosis, treatment and survival among pregnant women with thyroid cancer to non-pregnant women with thyroid cancer, and to assess the impact of treatment on maternal and perinatal outcomes. Methods: A database containing maternal and newborn discharge records linked to the California Cancer Registry was queried to obtain information on all thyroid cancers from 1991-1999. Women with thyroid cancer occurring during pregnancy were compared to age-matched non-pregnant women with thyroid cancer. Results: 595 cases of thyroid cancers were identified (129 antepartum and 466 postpartum). About 64% of thyroid cancers were diagnosed at stage 2 among pregnant women versus 58% among non-pregnant controls. The odds of thyroid cancer were 1.5 times higher among Asian/Pacific Islanders than among Non-Hispanic White women. Pregnancy had no significant effect on mortality after diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Thyroidectomy during pregnancy was not associated with adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes. Conclusions: Thyroid cancer discovered during or after pregnancy does not appear to have a significant impact on the prognosis of the disease.