Abstract
The mass screening for thyroid cancer combined with that for breast cancer in females over 30 y. o. had been conducted in Shiga Prefecture from Sep. 1982. First 204 operation cases of thyroid disease (120 benign and 84 malignant cases) experienced in females over 30 y. o. at the department from 1983 to the end of March 1991 were clinically studied by dividing them into a screening group and out-patients group whose lesions were found by another means. 44.2% of benign operated cases were occupied in the screening group and 55.8% in the out-pt group. When compared to out-pt for benign disease, less cases of Basedow's disease were noted in the screened patients but cases of adenoma and adenomatous goiter were equally much in both patients. 67.9% of malignant operated cases were occupied in the screening group and 32.1% in the out-pt group. Although malignant diseases of the screening group had smaller tumor diameter compaired to the others, more lymph node metastasis were found. And minute cancers of the thyroid gland were found in 40.4% of malignant disease in the screening group.
It is though that the mass screening is useful for detecting small thyroid cancer and will help to enlighten the general public and practitioners about the thyroid cancer.
