Eye disease risk higher following thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer survivors have a higher risk of age-related disease, including eye disease, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Study author, Dr Mia Hashibe, told OT that researchers observed a 1.7-fold increase in the risk of eye disorders among thyroid cancer survivors one to five years after cancer diagnosis when compared to the general population.

“This increase in risk was similar for both younger and older thyroid cancer patients,” she shared.

“The increased risks persisted in the five to 10 years after cancer diagnosis,” Dr Hashibe added.

As well as eye disease, thyroid cancer survivors had higher rates of other health conditions, including hypertension, diabetes and osteoarthritis.

The authors concluded: “As thyroid cancer survivors in this study were found to have increased risks for age-related diseases, future studies are needed to assess what can be done to reduce the increased risks of these long-term health effects.”