COVID-19 pandemic and thyroid cancer

Abstract

Thyroid domain amid COVID-19 era has been involved in many ways, either in terms of patients with prior thyroid conditions who become COVID-19 positives, or coronavirus-induced de novo thyroid anomalies. This article represents a literature update on thyroid cancer (TC). The PubMed-based research includes a publication timeline regarding the first two years of pandemic (2020-2021). The general scientific interest on TC according to online research decreased during the first half of 2020 and got to the pre-pandemic level by the end of 2020. At the beginning of the pandemic, there was a delay in approaching the thyroid conditions, while telemedicine became a most useful tool, as seen in others areas of medicine. Post - 2020 lockdown medical presentation was associated with a more aggressive behavior of TC when compare to pre-pandemic data. Ongoing debates surround the topic of higher risk of COVID-19 infection in patients with a prior diagnostic of a thyroid malignancy in terms of having a higher risk of contracting the infection or an increased risk of developing a more severe form. There is not clear answer up to this point. Recent assets concerning TC field (non-COVID-19 data) that are released for the last two years concern the understanding of thyroid cancer genetics, the approach of shift from differentiated to anaplastic carcinoma, as well as evidence regarding new players in the oncological endocrinology like tyrosine kinase inhibitors for advanced forms of radioiodine refractory TC. For what we know so far, by the end of the second pandemic year, the patients with TC do not represent a fragile population when facing COVID-19 infection itself. However, the delay of adequate therapy amid restrictions is reflected in more severe malignancy behavior, while general concerns about the virus and pandemics increase the level of psychological and social stress. Case finding strategies to detect high risk patients as those on tyrosine kinase inhibitors with potential lung complications are needed.

Keywords

• thyroid
• cancer
• neoplasia
• tumor
• differentiated thyroid cancer
• ultrasound
• pandemic
• covid-19