The effect of thyroid cancer on the survival of patients with digestive system tumors using SEER database

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Quinn

The number of cancer survivors worldwide is increasing, making second primary cancers (SPC) a growing health threat. This study used the SEER database to evaluate how thyroid cancer (TC) influences survival among patients with digestive system tumors (DST) from 2000 to 2018. Standardized incidence ratios and propensity score matching quantified SPC risk and confounding, while Kaplan-Meier, Cox proportional risk, and competitive risk models analyzed overall and cancer-specific survival, including effects of pathology and radiotherapy. Among 518,901 DST-only patients plus TC-1st and DST-1st groups, TC history showed better overall survival and lower TC-specific mortality, especially in DST-1st; radiotherapy had no effect on cancer-specific mortality.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Materials and methods

Data collection

Statistical analysis

[www. nature.com/scientificreports](www. nature.com/scientificreports) OPEN The effect of thyroid cancer on the survival of patients with digestive system tumors using SEER database Siqin Zuo1,2,3, Yongning Zhou2,3, Ya Zheng2,3􀀍 & Rui Ji2,3􀀍 The number of cancer survivors worldwide is increasing every year, making secondary primary cancers (SPC) is a growing health threat. Studies have been conducted to investigate the risk of occurrence between digestive system tumors (DST) and thyroid cancer (TC) . However, existing studies have tended to focus more on the risk of developing SPC and less on the impact of SPC on the survival of cancer survivors. In this study, using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, we aimed to explore the impact ofTC on the survival of patients with DST by data between 2000 and 2018. The study employed the standardized incidence ratio to assess the relative risk of SPC, propensity score matching was conducted to mitigate confounding effects, Kaplan-Meier, Cox proportional risk model and competitive risk model were used to analyze the factors affecting the overall survival and cancer-specific survival. We furthermore explored the influence of pathological types and radiotherapy ofTC on the survival of DST patients. 518,901 patients with DST only, 801 patients with TC occurring earlier than DST (TC-1st), and 744 patients with DST occurring earlier thanTC (DST-1st) were included. The total incidence rate of small intestine cancer after TC was higher than that of the general population, and the incidence of TC after DST was higher than in the general population. DST patients with a history ofTC had better overall survival and lower cancer-specific mortality and this difference was particularly significant in patients with DST-1st. In addition, radiotherapy forTC had no effect on cancer-specific mortality in patients with DST. Keywords Digestive system tumors, Thyroid cancer, Second primary cancer, Survival analysis, Competitive risk model Abbreviations DST Digestive system tumors SPC Second primary cancer EC Esophageal cancer GC Gastric cancer SIC Small intestine cancer CC Colon cancer RC Rectal cancer HCC Hepatocellular carcinoma PC Pancreatic cancer TC Thyroid cancer SIR Standardized incidence ratio PSM Propensity score matching OS Overall survival CSS Cancer-specific survival Digestive system tumors (DST), which mainly include gastric, esophageal, liver, pancreatic and colorectal cancers, are the leading cause of death worldwide1. According to the cancer statistics in 2020, colorectal cancer 1The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China. 2Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China. 3Gansu Province Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China. 􀀍 [email: zhengya10@126.com](email: zhengya10@126.com); [jir@lzu.edu.cn](jir@lzu.edu.cn) [www. nature.com/scientificreports/](www. nature.com/scientificreports/) (CRC), gastric cancer (GC), liver cancer (LC) and esophageal cancer (EC) are among the top 10 cancers in the world, with 604,000 new cases of EC, more than 1,000,000 new cases of GC, 906,000 new cases of LC and 190,000 new cases ofCRC2. The high morbidity and mortality rates that characterize DST warrant further study of their survival characteristics. With improved diagnostic sensitivity and advances in treatment, cancer patients are surviving longer, which, combined with the long-term side effects of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy and the continuing influence of genetic and behavioral risk factors3,4, places these cancer survivors at increased risk of developing a second primary cancer (SPC)5–7. Long-term survivors face a variety of challenges, includingthe physical, psychological, medical, behavioral, and socioeconomic consequences of cancer and its treatment, underscoring the urgent need for large-scale researc

FAQs

What is the main research question about thyroid cancer and digestive system tumors?

How thyroid cancer affects the survival of patients with digestive system tumors after a diagnosis period between 2000 and 2018 using SEER data.

Which statistical methods were used to assess second primary cancer risk and survival?

Standardized incidence ratio and propensity score matching were used for SPC risk and confounding control, while Kaplan-Meier, Cox proportional risk, and competitive risk models assessed survival factors.

Did radiotherapy for thyroid cancer change cancer-specific mortality in digestive system tumor patients?

Radiotherapy for thyroid cancer had no effect on cancer-specific mortality in patients with digestive system tumors.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Quinn