ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Oncology
doi: 10.25005/2074-0581-2026-28-2-374-385
CLINICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES AND CYTOKINE STATUS ASSESSMENT IN THYROID CANCER

D.R. SANGINOV1, F.I. SALIMOV2, SH.Z. KHABIBULLAEV3, A.A. ISMAILOVA4, I.K. NIYAZOV1,2

1Avicenna Tajik State Medical University, Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan
2Republican Oncology Scientific Center, Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan
3Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Center of Otorhinolaringology and Head and Neck Diseases, Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan
4Institute of Immunology and Human Genomics of Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of thyroid cancer (TC) in the Republic of Tajikistan, analyze its clinical and morphological characteristics, and assess the cytokine status of affected patients.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from patients treated at the Republican Oncology Scientific Center of Tajikistan between 2014 and 2023. Descriptive statistics were employed to evaluate incidence rates, clinical features, and therapeutic outcomes. Additionally, the cytokine status, specifically serum levels of Interleukin­4 (IL­4), Interleukin­6 (IL­6), and Tumor Necrosis Factor­alpha (TNF­α), was assessed in a cohort of 52 patients.

Results: Although the incidence of TC in Tajikistan has remained relatively stable over the last decade, a high prevalence of advanced stages (T3­T4) was observed. Females accounted for 75.5% of cases, and a significant majority of patients (60.9%) presented with advanced­stage disease (T3­T4). Papillary and follicular carcinomas were the most frequent histological subtypes. Surgical intervention, primarily total thyroidectomy and subtotal resection, remains the cornerstone of treatment, supplemented by adjuvant hormone therapy and polychemotherapy. Immunological monitoring revealed significantly elevated levels of IL­4, IL­6, and TNF­α, suggesting impaired immune regulation, particularly among older age groups.

Conclusion: These findings underscore the critical need for improved early diagnostic strategies for TC. A comprehensive management approach that integrates radical surgical intervention with adjuvant therapies and immunological monitoring is essential for optimizing patient outcomes.

Keywords: Thyroid cancer, diagnostics, treatment, cytokine status, molecular genetic studies, immune status, tumor markers, survival.

Download file:

References
  1. Liu Y, Su L, Xiao H. Review of factors related to the thyroid cancer epidemic. Int J Endocrinol. 2017;2017:5308635. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/5308635
  2. Tkachenko VI, Rimar YaYu. Modern view on the risk factors for malignant tu- mors of the thyroid gland: a systematic review. Family Medicine. 2018;3:57-66. https://doi.org/10.30841/2307-5112.3.2018.146433
  3. Styazhkina SN, Ledneva AV, Poryvaeva EL, Bratchikova KA, Vershinin NS. Vliyanie ekologicheskikh faktorov na strukturu zabolevaniy shchitovidnoy zhelezy v Ud- murtii [How ecological factors affect the course of thyroid gland disorders struc- ture in the Udmurt republic. Nauchnyi al`manakh. 2015;11(4):149-54.
  4. Dedov II, Troshina EA, Platonova NM, Makolina NP, Belovalova IM, Senyushkina ES, i dr. Profilaktika iododefitcitnykh zabolevaniy: v fokuse regional`nye tselevye programmy [Prevention of iodine deficiency diseases: Focus on regional tar- geted programs]. Problemmy endokrinologiyi. 2022;68(3):16-20. https://doi. org/10.14341/probl13119
  5. Kaprin AD, Starinskiy VV, Shakhzadova AO. Sostoyanie onkologicheskoy pomosh- chi naseleniyu Rossii v 2022 godu [The state of cancer care for the population of Russia in 2021]. Moscow, RF: MNIOI im. P.A. Gertsena − filial FGBU «NMITs radiologii» Minzdrava Rossii; 2022. 239 p
  6. Bober EE, Florova IG, Choynzonov EL, Velichko SA, Bystrova NYu, Mukhammedov MR. Sovremennye vozmozhnosti diagnostiki raka shchitovidnoy zhelezy (obzor literatury) [Current capabilities of thyroid cancer (literature review)]. Sibirskiy onkologicheskiy zhurnal. 2013;5:59-65.
  7. Styazhkina SN, Idiatullin RM. Opukholi shchitovidnoy zhelezy v yododefitsitnom regione [Thyroid tumors in iodine deficiency region]. Profilakticheskaya i sotsi- al`naya meditsina. 2019;36(5):58-64.
  8. Tuttle RM, Ball DW, Byrd D, Dilawari RA, Doherty GM, Duh QY, et al. National comprehensive cancer network. Thyroid carcinoma. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2010;8(11):1228-74. https://doi.org/10.6004/jnccn.2010.0093
  9. Sanabria A, Kowalski LP, Shah JP, Nixon IJ, Angelos P, Williams MD, et al. Growing incidence of thyroid carcinoma in recent years: Factors underlying overdiagnosis. Head Neck. 2018;40(4):855-66. https://doi.org/10.1002/hed.25029
  10. Corsten MJ, Hearn M, McDonald JT, Johnson-Obaseki S. Incidence of differentiat- ed thyroid cancer in Canada by city of residence. J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015;44(1):36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40463-015-0088-0
  11. Lim H, Devesa SS, Sosa JA, Check D, Kitahara CM. Trends in thyroid cancer inci- dence and mortality in the United States, 1974-2013. JAMA. 2017;317(13):1338. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.2719
  12. Durante C, Grani G, Lamartina L, Filetti S, Mandel SJ, Cooper DS. The diagno- sis and management of thyroid nodules: A review. JAMA. 2018;319(9):914-24. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.0898
  13. D'Cruz AK, Vaish R, Vaidya A, Nixon IJ, Williams MD, Vander Poorten V, et al. Molecular markers in well-differentiated thyroid cancer. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryn- gol. 2018;275(6):1375-84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-018-4944-1
  14. Manonov ST, Sayfuddinov SR, Kurbonov SK, Khakimov FR, Makhmudov FM, Nazarov UT. Solimii aholi va fa`oliyati muassisahoi tandurusti dar soli 2018 [Health of the population and activities of health care institutions in 2018]. Du- shanbe, RT: JDMM Mehrona-2017; 2019. 368 p.
  15. Serdyukova OS, Titov SE, Malakhina ES, Rymar OD. MikroRNA – perspektivnye molekulyarnye markyory obnaruzheniya raka v uzlakh shchitovidnoy zhelezy [MicroRNAs – promising molecular markers for detecting cancer in thyroid nod- ules]. Klinicheskaya i e’ksperimental’naya tireoidologiya. 2018;14(3):140-8.
  16. Nettore IC, Colao A, Macchia PE. Nutritional and environmental factors in thy- roid carcinogenesis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(8):1735. https://doi. org/10.3390/ijerph15081735
  17. Zheng X, Sun R, Wei T. Immune microenvironment in papillary thyroid carcinoma: Roles of immune cells and checkpoints in disease progression and therapeutic implications. Front Immunol. 2024;15:1438235. https://doi.org/10.3389/fim- mu.2024.1438235
  18. Jaume JC. Thyroid cancer – the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) over time and space. Cancers. 2025;17(5):794. https://doi.org/10.3390/can- cers17050794
  19. Ehlers M, Schott M. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and papillary thyroid cancer: Are they immunologically linked? Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2014;25(12):656-64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tem.2014.09.001
  20. Jin S, Borkhuu O, Bao W, Yang YT. Signaling pathways in thyroid cancer and their therapeutic implications. J Clin Med Res. 2016; 8(4): 284-96. https://doi. org/10.14740/jocmr2480w
  21. Han SA, Jang JH, Won KY, Lim SJ, Song JY. Prognostic value of putative cancer stem cell markers (CD24, CD44, CD133, and ALDH1) in human papillary thyroid carcinoma. Pathol Res Pract. 2017;213(8):956-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. prp.2017.05.002
  22. Antonelli A, Ferrari SM, Fallahi P. Current and future immunotherapies for thyroid cancer. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther. 2018;18(2):149-59. https://doi.org/10.1080 /14737140.2018.1417845
  23. Na KJ, Choi H. Immune landscape of papillary thyroid cancer and immuno- therapeutic implications. Endocr Relat Cancer. 2018;25(5):523-31. https://doi. org/10.1530/ERC-17-0532
  24. Lucas LC, Elaine CM, Sueli N, Marjory AM, Fernando AS, José V, et al. Interleu- kin 10 expression is related to aggressiveness and poor prognosis of patients with thyroid cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2017;66:141-8. http://doi. org/10.1007/s00262-016-1924-4
  25. Тkhakakhov AA. Epidemiologiya i morfologiya rakovykh opukholey shchitovid- noy zhelezy v Kabardino-Balkarskoy Respublike za period 1990-2014 gg. [Epide- miology and morphology of thyroid cancer tumors in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic during 1990-2014]. Klinicheskaya i eksperimental’naya tireoidologiya. 2016;12(4):4-8.
  26. Kaprin AD (red.). Sostoyanie onkologicheskoy pomoshchi naseleniyu Ros- sii [State of oncological care for the population of Russia]. Moscow, RF: M-vo zdravookhraneniya Ros. Federatsii. Ros. Tsentr inform. tekhnologiy i epidemiol. issled. v obl. onkologii, Nauchno-issledovatel'skiy onkologicheskiy in-t im. P.A. Gertsena; 2023. 254 p.
  27. Varghese SS, Varghese A, Ayshford C. Differentiated thyroid cancer and pregnan- cy. Indian J Surg. 2014;76(4):293-6. http://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-013-0810-y

Authors' information:

Sanginov Dzhumaboy Rakhmatovich,
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Full Professor, Professor of the Department of Oncology, Avicenna Tajik State Medical University
Researcher ID: AAH-2351-2021
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4311-3094
SPIN: 3535-1025
Author ID: 1099938
E-mail: sanginov1952@gmail.com

Salimov Furkat Ismatovich,
Oncologist, Department of General Oncology, Republican Oncology Scientific Center
ORCID ID: 0009-0001-8562-6461
E-mail: furkat.salimov.84@mail.ru

Khabibullaev Sharaf Zukhurovich,
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Full Professor, Principal Researcher, Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Center of Otorhinolaringology and Head and Neck Diseases
ORCID ID: 0009-0006-2831-0774
E-mail: sharhab@mail.ru

Ismailova Adolat Abdurakhimovna,
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Full Professor, Deputy Director for Research, Institute of Immunology and Human Genomics of Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-3504-9704
E-mail: immunocitokin@rambler.ru

Niyazov Ilhomidin Karimovich,
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Assistant Professor, Department of Oncology, Avicenna Tajik State Medical University; Oncologist, Department of General Oncology, Republican Scientific Oncology Center
Researcher ID: AAH-2357-2021
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-2361-043X
SPIN: 1212-0435
Author ID: 805452
E-mail: ilhomnike@mail.ru

Information about support in the form of grants, equipment, medications

The authors did not receive financial support from manufacturers of medicines and medical equipment

Conflicts of interest: No conflict

Address for correspondence:

Niyazov Ilhomidin Karimovich
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Assistant Professor, Department of Oncology, Avicenna Tajik State Medical University; Oncologist, Department of General Oncology, Republican Scientific Oncology Center

734026, Republic of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, Sino str., 29-31

Tel.: +992 (937) 908684

E-mail: ilhomnike@mail.ru


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Materials on the topic:
  1. IMMUNOLOGICAL PROFILE OF SEROUS OVARIAN CARCINOMA AND DUCTAL BREAST CARCINOMA
  2. EVALUATION OF THE EFFICIENCY OF COMBINED TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH BONE METASTASES FROM KIDNEY AND PROSTATE CANCER USING SYSTEMIC RADIATION AND TARGETED THERAPY
  3. INCIDENCE OF MULTIPLE PRIMARY MALIGNANT NEOPLASMS IN SIBERIA AND THE FAR EAST
  4. SENTINEL LYMPH NODE BIOPSY IN BREAST CANCER: ONGOING CONSIDERATIONS
  5. ROLE OF RADIATION THERAPY IN COMBINED AND MULTIMODAL TREATMENT OF T3-4N1-2-3M0-1-2 STAGE SKIN CANCER
  6. SURGICAL TREATMENT OF A GIANT RETROPERITONEAL LIPOMA: A CLINICAL CASE
  7. PREOPERATIVE PREDICTION OF WALL INVASION DEPTH OF PRIMARY TUMOR (PT) IN GASTRIC CANCER PATIENTS
  8. CURRENT SURGICAL TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR LATE STAGES OF CERVICAL CANCER
  9. METASTATIC HEAD AND NECK CANCER WITH UNKNOWN PRIMARY: DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
  10. CLINICAL CASE OF BCLC STAGE B HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA WITH A COMBINED TREATMENT

◄ Back to the list