This study assessed the association between thyroid cancer and family history. This cross-sectional study used epidemiological data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study from 2001 to 2013. Among 211,708 participants, 988 were in the thyroid cancer group and 199,588 were in the control group. Trained interviewers questioned the participants to obtain their thyroid cancer history and age at onset. The participants were examined according to their age, sex, monthly household income, obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and past medical history. The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for the family histories of fathers, mothers, and siblings were 6.59 (2.05-21.21), 4.76 (2.59-8.74), and 9.53 (6.92-13.11), respectively, and were significant. The results for the subgroup analyses according to sex were consistent. The rate of family histories of thyroid cancer for fathers and siblings were not different according to the thyroid cancer onset, while that of mothers were higher in participants with a younger age at onset (<50 years old group, 11/523 [2.1%], p = 0.007). This study demonstrated that thyroid cancer incidence was associated with thyroid cancer family history. This supports regular examination of individuals with a family history of thyroid cancer to prevent disease progression and ensure early management.
Keywords: differentiated thyroid cancer; epidemiology; family history; papillary thyroid cancer; thyroid cancer.