Radioactive Iodine Therapy in Thyroid Cancer May Increase Melanoma Risk
Source: Endocrinology Advisor, November 2024
Patients with primary thyroid cancer who received radioactive iodine therapy have elevated risks for melanoma and other nonkeratinocyte skin cancers, according to study findings published in JAMA Network Open.
Previous research findings suggest links between papillary thyroid cancer and malignant melanomas through similar pathogenic variants. However, the effect of radioactive iodine therapy on skin cancer remains unclear.
Researchers obtained population-based data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute to examine the risk for melanoma and other nonkeratinocyte cancers following diagnosis of primary thyroid malignant neoplasm. Included patients had thyroid cancer diagnosed between 2000 to 2019 and data on new cancers through 2020. Data on keratinocyte skin cancers were unavailable through the registries.