Re: Graves disease and ovarian cancer?

"Steph" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> "sheila" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Is there a relationship between Graves disease and ovarian cancer?
> >
> >
> 
> 
> Not that I'm aware of

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The only kind of ovarian neoplasm I could find in PubMed that is
specifically mentioned in connection with Graves' disease is struma
ovarii. There have been a few reports of the thyroid-like teratoma
elements that make up the struma ovarii secreting enough thyroid
hormones to cause various kinds of hyperthyroidism especially when
there is malignant degeneration into tissue resembling papillary or
follicular thyroid cancer. Autoimmne thyroid diseases apparently can
be stimulated by struma ovarii as well For a review of reported cases
of struma & Graves' disease see:
Endocr J. 2001 Apr;48(2):255-60.  Related Articles, Links  


Coexistence of Graves' disease and struma ovarii: case report and
literature review.

Mimura Y, Kishida M, Masuyama H, Suwaki N, Kodama J, Otsuka F, Kataoka
H, Yamauchi T, Ogura T, Kudo T, Makino H.

Faculty of Education, Okayama University, Japan.

We report a rare case of Graves' disease associated with struma
ovarii. A 26-year-old Japanese woman had preexisting Graves' disease
and was positive for TSH receptor antibody. She had been on
antithyroid medication at presentation. She noted a mass in the lower
left abdomen, which was diagnosed as a left struma ovarii by
radiological work-up including computed tomography, magnetic resonance
imaging and scintigraphy. The surgically excised teratomatous tumor,
containing cystic spaces with thyroid tissue, was histologically
proved to be struma ovarii. Since thyroid function tests and TSH
receptor antibody did not change after surgery, her hyperthyroidism
was considered to be due to Graves' disease. Our case was diagnosed as
struma ovarii before surgery using various imaging studies.

Publication Types: 
Review 
Review of Reported Cases 

PMID: 11456276 
--------------------------
There are some epidemiological findings that lead to speculation that
hyperthyroidism can predispose to ovarian cancer, perhaps via
inflammatory or hormonal mechanisms, but I don't think there is any
proof that this is true. Here is one ref:
Epidemiology. 2000 Mar;11(2):111-7.  Related Articles, Links  


Comment in: 
Epidemiology. 2000 Mar;11(2):97-8.

Factors related to inflammation of the ovarian epithelium and risk of
ovarian cancer.

Ness RB, Grisso JA, Cottreau C, Klapper J, Vergona R, Wheeler JE,
Morgan M, Schlesselman JJ.

Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pennsylvania,
Pittsburgh 15261, USA.

Previous epidemiologic observations consistently suggest that
suppression of ovulation, tubal ligation, and hysterectomy reduce the
risk of ovarian cancer and that perineal talc use increases the risk.
We examined these and other risk factors in the context of a new
hypothesis: that inflammation may play a role in ovarian cancer risk.
Ovulation entails ovarian epithelial inflammation; talc,
endometriosis, cysts, and hyperthyroidism may be associated with
inflammatory responses of the ovarian epithelium; gynecologic surgery
may preclude irritants from reaching the ovaries via ascension from
the lower genital tract. We evaluated these risk factors in a
population-based case-control study. Cases 20-69 years of age with a
recent diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer (767) were compared with
community controls (1,367). We found that a number of reproductive and
contraceptive factors that suppress ovulation, including gravidity,
breast feeding, and oral contraception, reduced the risk of ovarian
cancer. Environmental factors and medical conditions that increased
risk included talc use, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and
hyperthyroidism. Gynecologic surgery including hysterectomy and tubal
ligation were protective. Tubal ligation afforded a risk reduction
even 20 or more years after the surgery. The spectrum of associations
provides support for the hypothesis that inflammation may mediate
ovarian cancer risk.

PMID: 11021606
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Here is one ref whose title asks the same question, but since there is
no online abstract or full-text version, I don't know what conclusion
they came to :-(
Kurume Med J. 1994;41(1):51-2.  Related Articles, Links  


Are thyroid neoplasms associated with ovarian cancer?

Kataoka A, Nishida T, Yakushiji M, Kojiro M, Morimatsu M.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kurume University School of
Medicine, Japan.

PMID: 7933917 
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Since thyroid disease is common, especially among women, and
unfortunately so is ovarian cancer, purely epidemiological studies can
make it look like there is a connection when it is just coincidence
unless the sample is really huge and the probability comes out highly
significant.