Family history of benign thyroid disease and cancer and risk of thyroid cancer

In a population-based study of 313 case-control pairs in Kuwait, we evaluated whether a family history of benign thyroid disease (BTD) and thyroid or other cancers was associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer, the second most common neoplasm among women in this and several other Arab countries in the Gulf region. Family history of BTD was reported by 78 (24.9%) cases and 40 (12.8%) controls in 132 and 57 relatives, respectively. There was an approximately 2-fold increased risk of thyroid cancer in individuals who had a mother (Odds Ratio (OR)=2.3; 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI): 1.1-5.1), sister(s) (OR=2.6; 95% CI: 1.3-5.3) or aunt(s) (OR=2.1; 95% CI: 0.9-5.3) with BTD; there was also a significant trend in increasing risk with an increasing number of affected female relatives (P<0.0001). Stratification by age at diagnosis of the case showed that individuals aged ≤35 years, who had an affected first- or second/third-degree relative(s), had an approximately 3-fold increased risk of the cancer. Family history of thyroid cancer was reported by 9 (2.9%) cases in 13 relatives (11 females, 2 males) and by 3 controls in 3 relatives (all females) (OR=3.0; 95% CI: 0.8-11.1). The OR for all hormone-related cancers combined was 1.5 (95% CI: 0.8-2.6). There was no clear association with family history of breast or any other common cancer. Our data suggest that a family history of BTD is associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer, and point to the role of familial susceptibility to BTD and thyroid cancer in the Kuwaiti population.