Tobacco smoking and risk of thyroid cancer according to BRAFV600E mutational subtypes

No Thumbnail Available
File version
Author(s)
Rahman, Sabbir T
Pandeya, Nirmala
Neale, Rachel E
McLeod, Donald SA
Baade, Peter D
Youl, Philippa H
Allison, Roger
Leonard, Susan
Jordan, Susan J
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
2021
Size
File type(s)
Location
License
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Smoking has been associated with a reduced risk of thyroid cancer, but whether the association varies between higher- and lower-risk cancers remains unclear. We aimed to assess the association between smoking and risk of thyroid cancer overall as well as by tumour BRAF mutational status as a marker of potentially higher-risk cancer. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: We recruited 1013 people diagnosed with thyroid cancer and 1057 population controls frequency-matched on age and sex. METHODS: Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association overall and in analyses stratified by tumour characteristics. We used sensitivity analysis to assess the potential for selection bias. RESULTS: We found little evidence of an association with current smoking (odds ratio [OR] = 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.69-1.26; current vs. never smoking), but a higher number of pack-years of smoking was associated with a lower risk of thyroid cancer (OR = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.57-0.99; ≥20 pack-years vs. never). However, after correcting for potential selection bias, we observed a statistically significant inverse association between current smoking and risk of thyroid cancer (bias-corrected OR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.51-0.83). Those with BRAF-positive cancers were less likely to be current smokers than those with BRAF-negative cancers (prevalence ratio: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.62-0.99). CONCLUSION: We found smoking was inversely related to thyroid cancer risk and, in particular, current smoking was associated with a reduced risk of potentially more aggressive BRAF-positive than the likely more indolent BRAF-negative papillary thyroid cancers.

Journal Title

Clinical Endocrinology

Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume
Issue
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
Item Access Status
Note

This publication has been entered as an advanced online version in Griffith Research Online.

Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject

Clinical sciences

Oncology and carcinogenesis

Paediatrics

Reproductive medicine

BRAF-mutation

bias analysis

population-based sample

thyroid cancer

tobacco smoking

Persistent link to this record
Citation

Rahman, ST; Pandeya, N; Neale, RE; McLeod, DSA; Baade, PD; Youl, PH; Allison, R; Leonard, S; Jordan, SJ, Tobacco smoking and risk of thyroid cancer according to BRAFV600E mutational subtypes, Clinical Endocrinology, 2021

Collections