Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer is the 9th most common cancer worldwide. According to Globocan 2020 estimates, there were over 586,000 new diagnoses globally. Thyroid cancer is more prevalent in women, where 449,000 women were diagnosed with thyroid cancer vs. 137,000 men. Thyroid cancer incidence rates vary globally, and South Korea had the highest incidence of thyroid cancer, with the United States ranking #15.1
A few risk factors for thyroid cancer include:2
- Age: Thyroid cancer can occur at any age, but most women are diagnosed in their 40s or 50s, and most men are diagnosed in their 60s or 70s.
- Gender: Thyroid cancer is three times as common in women than in men.
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Hereditary Conditions: Certain inherited conditions, listed below, have been linked to different types of thyroid cancer:
- Familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC)
- Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)
- Cowden disease
- Carney complex (type I)
- Familial nonmedullary thyroid carcinoma
- Family History
- Radiation Exposure
- Being Overweight or Obese
- Iodine in the Diet: Follicular thyroid is more common in people with diets that are low in iodine. However, a diet high in iodine may increase the risk of papillary thyroid cancer.
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