Thyroid Federation International

We are pleased to announce our presence at the European Thyroid Association (ETA) Annual Meeting in Athens, Greece. 📌Join us at our booth, connect with us and learn more about our commitment and work for the benefit of patients worldwide. 📌 See you at ETA! 🦋💙🦋 #TFI #ETA #Athens #thyroid #patientsfirst

TFI held its Annual General Meeting on September 5-6 in Athens, Greece in connection with the European Thyroid Association - two inspiring days with members from all over the world either in person or online: Finland, France, Spain, Italy, the Philippines, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, Nigeria, Ghana, Germany, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Hungary. We want to thank all participants for the presentations, inspirational discussions, and brainstorming. 🦋💙🦋 #TFI #AGM #annualmeeting #Athens #ETA

The incidence of thyroid cancer has increased over the past 50 years. There are two possible theories for this: increased screening due to the widespread use of diagnostic imaging or due to risk factors not yet entirely known such as nitrate fertilizers found in food, smoking, and other risk factors that need more investigation. 📍 A 2024 study looked at the differences between incidental and non-incidental thyroid cancer. They found that: 📌age differences: patients with incidental thyroid carcinoma were significantly older 📌family history: no differences found between the two groups 📌tumour size: incidental thyroid carcinoma mean tumour size was smaller 📌there were no differences in tumour multifocality, histological thyroiditis, and extrathyroidal extension. 📌there were no differences in the number of patients treated with RAI or in RAI activity. 📍 Overall, there were no differences in the 5-year clinical outcome between the two groups. Cosme I, Figueiredo A, Pinheiro S, Leite V. INCIDENTALLY VS. NON-INCIDENTALLY DIAGNOSED PAPILLARY THYROID CARCINOMA: ARE THERE DIFFERENCES?. Eur Thyroid J. Published online July 1, 2024. #ThyroidCancerAwarenessMonth #thyroid #cancer #newstudy #patientsfirst

Apart from focusing on the location of the tumour, cancer characterizations unique to each patient could give important information to doctors. Over the past century, cancer treatment has mainly focused on the location of the tumour in the body and cancers have been categorized based on the organ where the tumour started. 📍 However, there is a growing gap between this classification and the progress in precision oncology. Precision oncology employs molecular profiling of tumour and immune cells to guide therapies.   📍In the future, cancer characterizations unique to each patient could include information such as: 📌 the cancer's organ of origin 📌the number and size of tumours 📌cancer behaviour, as measured by the expression levels of certain genes.   📍This information can be important in deciding what treatment to apply. Among other potentially useful information is genetic analysis of a person’s germline DNA, which can provide information about their sensitivity to certain drugs, their general health, as tracked by levels of fatigue, and weight loss.   📍Classifying cancers based on their molecular characteristics: 📌would also be the first step towards precision oncology and a deeper understanding of how cancer works 📌would speed up access to effective treatments for millions of people.   André F, Rassy E, Marabelle A, Michiels S, Besse B. Forget lung, breast or prostate cancer: why tumour naming needs to change. Nature. 2024.   #ThyroidCancerAwarenessMonth #thyroid #cancer #patientsfirst  

Thyroid cancer is the 7th most common cancer in terms of incidence overall and 5th most common in women with over 821,000 cases worldwide in 2022. 📌The incidence rate is 3 times higher in women than in men. 📌The highest incidence rates in both sexes are found in Eastern Asia and Northern America. 📌With 466,000 new cases per year, China alone accounts for over 50% of the incidence burden worldwide. 📌The rapid rise in incidence rates in many countries in recent years may be attributed to the increasing use of imaging, ultrasonography, and biopsy. It is our mission to highlight that there is a critical need: 📌for a unified approach to address the challenges faced by thyroid patients worldwide 📌improved diagnostics and treatment 📌support systems tailored to the individual needs of patients. Bray F, Laversanne M, Sung H, et al. Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2024. #ThyroidCancerAwarenessMonth #cancer #patients #patientneeds #patientsfirst

September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month: at TFI, we want to raise awareness of the importance of timely diagnosis and adequate treatment. The clinical behavior of thyroid cancer is highly variable. 📌The thyroid parenchyma consists of two major cell types, the thyroid follicular cells that give rise to differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and the parafollicular or C-cells that give rise to medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). 📌Differentiated thyroid cancer comprises papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), follicular thyroid cancer (FTC), and Hurthle cell cancer which account for most of all thyroid malignancies. 📌Medullary thyroid cancer accounts for around 1 to 2%, while anaplastic thyroid carcinoma accounts for less than 1% of all thyroid cancers. 📌Research, funds, and investments in prevention, including the targeting of key risk factors for cancer could avert people of future cancer diagnoses and save many lives worldwide, bringing huge economic as well as societal dividends to countries over the forthcoming decades. We will prepare a set of posts on thyroid cancer, stay tuned to learn more about thyroid cancer! #ThyroidCancerAwarenessMonth #thyroid #cancer #awareness #patientsfirst

69% of patients with Hashimoto’s disease may experience local symptoms (symptoms of the neck, throat, breathing, and swallowing) as well as other symptoms. 📌These local symptoms are an important part of the Thyroid-specific Patient Reported Outcome (ThyPRO) questionnaire. 📌The ThyPRO questionnaire was developed and implemented as the international standard measurement of thyroid-related quality of life of patients with benign thyroid diseases. 📌In the ThyPRO questionnaire, local symptoms are described as the following symptoms: 📍the sensation of fullness in the neck 📍a visible swelling in front of the neck 📍pressure in the throat  📍pain in the throat 📍pain in the neck 📍the sensation of a lump in the throat  📍frequent throat-clearing  📍discomfort swallowing 📍difficulty swallowing 📍hoarseness. 📌Apart from local symptoms, patients may experience general symptoms, such as cold/heat intolerance, dry skin, unexplained hair loss, chronic constipation, recent weight change, and fatigue. 📌Writing down any new set of symptoms may help patients prepare for their consultation. Yuan J, Qi S, Zhang X, et al. Local symptoms of Hashimoto's thyroiditis: A systematic review. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023. #hashimoto #hashimotosdisease #autoimmune #endocrinology #goiter

A novel inflammatory marker for the diagnosis of Hashimoto's disease: Platelet-Count-to-Lymphocyte-Count Ratio: a recent study found that the Platelet Count to Lymphocyte Count Ratio (PLR) could be used as an additional diagnostic tool to help diagnose Hashimoto's disease. Here are the findings: 📍 The PLR (Platelet-Count-to-Lymphocyte-Count Ratio) of people with Hashimoto's disease was found to be significantly different from people without Hashimoto's disease. 📍In addition to elevated PLR, an increase in CRP levels was also observed. 📍PLR is shown to be higher in hypothyroid patients and euthyroid people with Hashimoto's disease than in people who are not hypothyroid or do not have Hashimoto's disease. 📍The study suggests that elevated PLR levels may be a useful additional diagnostic tool in patients with Hashimoto's disease. Erge E, Kiziltunc C, Balci SB, et al. A Novel Inflammatory Marker for the Diagnosis of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: Platelet-Count-to-Lymphocyte-Count Ratio. Diseases. 2023. #newstudy #autoimmune #thyroid #hasimoto #autoimmunity #endocrinology

Autoimmune thyroid diseases have a strong genetic risk factor and several gene variants have already been identified that may be associated with the development of these diseases. 📌Two of the recently identified sequence variants with the most significant impact on the risk of autoimmune thyroid diseases are located in a gene that encodes LAG-3 (Lymphocyte-Activation Gene-3), a co-inhibitory receptor that plays a crucial role in immune homeostasis. 📌The findings highlight the importance of genes involved in T-cell regulation, with the LAG3 gene having the largest effect with a 3.4-fold increased risk of autoimmune thyroid diseases. 🔺️Remember: Autoimmune thyroid diseases are complex, with both genetic and environmental factors contributing to their development. Saevarsdottir S, Bjarnadottir K, Markusson T, et al. Start codon variant in LAG3 is associated with decreased LAG-3 expression and increased risk of autoimmune thyroid disease. Nat Commun. 2024. #newstudy #autoimmune #thyroid #hashimoto #graves #genetics

The TFI webinar: "Improving Global Health Through Thyroid Awareness (Thyromobile)" is now available on our YouTube channel. The Thyromobile van is fully equipped to screen for iodine deficiency and works to enhance the thyroid healthcare system in vulnerable communities. Here is the link to the webinar: https://lnkd.in/eJdvC588 📌Iodine deficiency is the world's largest cause of preventable mental impairment and a cause of thyroid disorders. 📌Iodine deficiency is still a global problem, Universal Salt Iodisation (USI) is considered a major solution recommended by the World Health Assembly, yet, not all countries have adopted it. 📌Thyromobile aims to raise awareness of iodine deficiency disorders in the general public and healthcare professionals and take steps towards eliminating iodine deficiency in vulnerable communities. #webinar #globalhealth #iodine #deficiency #IDD #thyroid