A research on thyroid cancel among children and adolescents up to 19 years of age, conducted during the period 1998-2017 in Cyprus, had important but concerning findings. There has been increasing incidence that is seen as one of the highest all over the world.
The findings of the research can be found at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canep.2021.101070
The main highlights:
- Thyroid cancer incidence (1998−2017) in Cypriot 0–19-year-olds among world’s highest.
- Increasing temporal trends affect males and females of the 15−19-year age group.
- Females 3.5 times more often affected; papillary carcinoma was the dominant type.
- There was almost 4-fold increase in metastatic cases, but 100 % survival.
- Thyroid cancer after previous cancer therapy did not contribute to increasing rate.
This population-based study demonstrated that thyroid cancer incidence rates in 0–19-year-olds in Cyprus was among the world’s highest. Increasing trends mainly affected males and females aged 15−19 years with papillary thyroid carcinoma, the dominant type. Cases after previous cancer therapy didn’t contribute to increasing rates. The increase of metastatic cases suggests a true increase of thyroid cancer rather than overdiagnosis. Although prognosis is excellent with 100 % survival, the rising incidence rate is unexplained, indicating the need to identify causes.
