Thyroid cancer in Tuzla region of Bosnia and Herzegovina: a 10-year study (1999-2008).

Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) is one of the Eastern European countries with lacking data on thyroid cancer (TC) epidemiology. We aimed to assess the incidence of TC in Tuzla Canton of B&H during a 10-year period (1999-2008). We retrospectively evaluated 65000 hospital records of both inpatients and outpatients with possible thyroid symptoms residing in Tuzla Canton of B&H (total of 496280 inhabitants) between 1999 and 2008. Patients with histological proof of TC were included in study. Incidence rates were calculated with age standardisation using European standard population. Trends in incidence were evaluated as moving three-year averages. During observed period 117 patients met the diagnostic criteria for TC with male to female ratio of 1:4.85. Median age of all cases was 51 years (interquartile range: 41 to 60) with men in average 9 years older than women at the time of diagnosis. The mean annual standardized incidence was found to be 2.30/10(5) (% 95 CI = 1.38-3.22) inhabitants ranging from 1.0 to 3.2 per 10(5). The average crude incidence in men was 0.82/10(5) and 3.83/10(5) in women. The prevalence of TC, at the end of the observed period was found to be 23.58/10(5) (% 95 CI = 19.3-27.58). There is a slight decline of incidence in our region during the observed period, but with the increase in the latest years of the study. This increase is probably the result of combination of various factors, mainly the better detection of new cases due to wider availability of diagnostics. Based on depicted trends, we believe that in the future years, TC incidence in our region will continue to rise.