Abstract
A review of the literature on the relationship between thyroid disorders and breast cancer does not provide conclusive evidence for the establishment of a causal relationship as breast cancer has been associated with hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism and nontoxic goiter. Most reports on the association of thyroid enlargement and breast cancer have emanated from areas of endemic iodine deficiency and these reports have relied on neck palpation. The contribution of the present study is in the application of the highly sensitive technique of diagnostic ultrasound to the investigation of subtle changes in thyroid volume and anatomy in patients with breast cancer. The mean thyroid volume of 20.4±1.0 ml in 184 breast cancer patients was significantly greater than that of 12.9±1.2 ml in age-matched controls (pp