On the overdiagnosis and overtreatment of thyroid carcinoma after the Chernobyl accident
https://doi.org/10.14341/ket10086
Abstract
On the basis of the linear no-threshold theory, the Chernobyl accident was predicted to result in an incidence increase of various malignancies. In fact, there has been no cancer increase proven to be a consequence of the radiation exposure after the accident except for thyroid carcinoma in people exposed at a young age. Prior to the accident, thyroid cancer had been rarely diagnosed in children and adolescents. The ability of screening to enhance the registered incidence of thyroid tumors is known. The screening after the accident detected not only small tumors but also large neglected ones, sometimes misclassified as aggressive radiogenic cancers, which contributed to the concept of their aggressive behavior and early metastasizing. This had consequences for the practice: some experts recommended a more radical surgical treatment of supposedly radiogenic thyroid cancers. Such recommendations are generally not in agreement with the international practice. In conclusion, the treatment of Chernobyl-related thyroid carcinoma should not be different from that of sporadic one.
Keywords
Supporting agencies: There was no funding
About the Author
Sergei V. Jargin
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sergei_Jargin
Russian Federation
RUDN University
Russian Federation
PhD in medicine, associate professor, department of pathology
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For citations:
Jargin S.V. On the overdiagnosis and overtreatment of thyroid carcinoma after the Chernobyl accident. Clinical and experimental thyroidology. 2018;14(4):210-213. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.14341/ket10086
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