Incidence characteristics and trends of thyroid cancer in China and the world_CHINESE JOURNAL OF BASES AND CLINICS IN GENERAL SURGERY

Authors：

 YIN Detao , ZHAO Qian

Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University; Engineering Research Center of Multidisciplinary Diagnosis and Treatment of Thyroid Cancer of Henan Province; Key Medicine Laboratory of Thyroid Cancer of Henan Province; Zhengzhou 450052, P. R. China;

Corresponding author：

YIN Detao, Email: detaoyin@zzu.edu.cn

Keywords：

thyroid cancer; incidence; prevention and control implication; report interpretation; XXXXXXXXX

DOI：

10.7507/1007-9424.202502057

Video：

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Objective To analyze the burden and incidence of thyroid cancer in the world and in China based on the 2018, 2020 and 2022 editions of the Global Cancer Statistical Report jointly compiled by the World Health Organization (IARC) and the American Cancer Society. Methods The global cancer registry data of GLOBOCAN in 2018, 2020 and 2022 were compiled and analyzed, and the crude and age-standardized rates of thyroid cancer incidence in the world and China were extracted, and the incidence characteristics of thyroid cancer in the world and China were compared. Results In 2022, the number of new thyroid cancers in the world was estimated to be about 821 000, ranking 7th among all cancers, with a crude incidence rate of 10.4 per 100 000. The number of new cases of thyroid cancer in China will be about 466 000, ranking third, with a crude incidence rate of 33.0 per 100 000. There are significant differences in the incidence of thyroid cancer among different genders: in 2022, the number of new cases of thyroid cancer in women is about three times that of men, and the crude incidence rate in women is significantly higher than that in men. From 2018 to 2022, the incidence of thyroid cancer increased year by year in the world and China. Conclusions The disease burden of thyroid cancer in China is still heavy and higher than the global level, and the prevention and treatment of thyroid cancer is still facing great challenges.

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26.	Trimboli P. Complexity in the interpretation and application of multiple guidelines for thyroid nodules: the need for coordinated recommendations for “small” lesions. Rev Endocr Metab Disord, 2025. doi:10.1007/s11154-025-09950-z.
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29.	Boucai L, Zafereo M, Cabanillas ME. Thyroid cancer: a review. JAMA, 2024, 331(5): 425-435.
30.	Tao Y, Li P, Feng C, et al. New insights into immune cells and immunotherapy for thyroid cancer. Immunol Invest, 2023, 52(8): 1039-1064.
31.	Adam P, Kircher S, Sbiera I, et al. FGF-receptors and PD-L1 in anaplastic and poorly differentiated thyroid cancer: evaluation of the preclinical rationale. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne), 2021, 12: 712107.
32.	张正, 张莉芳, 刘彦廷, 等. 《2022全球癌症统计报告》解读. 中国医院统计, 1-8.
33.	Curigliano G, Eggermont AMM. Adherence to COVID-19 vaccines in cancer patients: promote it and make it happen! Eur J Cancer, 2021, 153: 257-259.

1. Zhang L, Zhou M, Gao X, et al. Estrogen-related genes for thyroid cancer prognosis, immune infiltration, staging, and drug sensitivity. BMC Cancer, 2023, 23(1): 1048.
2. 姚一菲, 孙可欣, 郑荣寿. 《2022全球癌症统计报告》解读: 中国与全球对比. 中国普外基础与临床杂志, 2024, 31(7): 769-780.
3. Bray F, Laversanne M, Sung H, et al. Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin, 2024, 74(3): 229-263.
4. Pizzato M, Li M, Vignat J, et al. The epidemiological landscape of thyroid cancer worldwide: GLOBOCAN estimates for incidence and mortality rates in 2020. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol, 2022, 10(4): 264-272.
5. Bray F, Ferlay J, Soerjomataram I, et al. Global cancer statistics 2018: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin, 2018, 68(6): 394-424.
6. Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, et al. Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin, 2021, 71(3): 209-249.
7. Miranda-Filho A, Lortet-Tieulent J, Bray F, et al. Thyroid cancer incidence trends by histology in 25 countries: a population-based study. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol, 2021, 9(4): 225-234.
8. 王龙龙, 李红强, 苌群刚, 等. 甲状腺癌21 980例患者临床病理特征与发病趋势分析. 中华医学杂志, 2020, 100(14): 1072-1076.
9. 殷德涛. 实用甲状腺疾病诊疗: 甲状腺结节细针穿刺活检术. 郑州: 郑州大学出版社, 2021: 2-4.
10. Liu Y, Lai F, Long J, et al. Screening and the epidemic of thyroid cancer in China: an analysis of national representative inpatient and commercial insurance databases. Int J Cancer, 2021, 148(5): 1106-1114.
11. 吉雨婷, 刘斯文, 张芸萌, 等. 中美两国恶性肿瘤疾病负担、流行趋势及归因风险因素比较. 中华肿瘤杂志, 2024, 46(7): 646-656.
12. Franchini F, Palatucci G, Colao A, et al. Obesity and thyroid cancer risk: an update. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022, 19(3): 1116.
13. Lam AK. Papillary thyroid carcinoma: current position in epidemiology, genomics, and classification. Methods Mol Biol, 2022, 2534: 1-15.
14. Saenko V, Mitsutake N. Radiation-related thyroid cancer. Endocr Rev, 2024, 45(1): 1-29.
15. Singh TD, Song J, Kim J, et al. A novel orally active inverse agonist of estrogen-related receptor gamma (ERRγ), DN200434, a booster of nis in anaplastic thyroid cancer. Clin Cancer Res, 2019, 25(16): 5069-5081.
16. Shen Y, Wang X, Wang L, et al. Modifiable risk factors for thyroid cancer: lifestyle and residence environment. Endokrynol Pol, 2024, 75(2): 119-129.
17. Lee J, Lee CR, Ku CR, et al. Association between obesity and brafv600e mutation status in patients with papillary thyroid cancer. Ann Surg Oncol, 2015, 22 Suppl 3: S683-S690.
18. Wild CP, Weiderpass E, Stewart BW, et al. World cancer report: cancer research for cancer prevention. Lyon (FR): International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2020.
19. Li M, Dal Maso L, Vaccarella S. Global trends in thyroid cancer incidence and the impact of overdiagnosis. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol, 2020, 8(6): 468-470.
20. Haugen BR, Alexander EK, Bible KC, et al. 2015 American Thyroid Association Management Guidelines for Adult Patients with Thyroid Nodules and Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: The American Thyroid Association Guidelines Task Force on Thyroid Nodules and Differentiated Thyroid Cancer. Thyroid, 2016, 26(1): 1-133.
21. Kang MJ, Won YJ, Lee JJ, et al. Cancer statistics in Korea: incidence, mortality, survival, and prevalence in 2019. Cancer Res Treat, 2022, 54(2): 330-344.
22. Vaccarella S, Lortet-Tieulent J, Colombet M, et al. Global patterns and trends in incidence and mortality of thyroid cancer in children and adolescents: a population-based study. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol, 2021, 9(3): 144-152.
23. 范瑞霞. 甲状腺癌的筛查与防治. 健康向导, 2024, 30(3): 50-51.
24. Wang Z, Chang Q, Zhang H, et al. A clinical predictive model of central lymph node metastases in papillary thyroid carcinoma. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne), 2022, 13: 856278.
25. 殷德涛, 鞠定吾. 热消融在低危甲状腺微小乳头状癌治疗中的应用现状. 国际外科学杂志, 2022, 49(2): 73-78.
26. Trimboli P. Complexity in the interpretation and application of multiple guidelines for thyroid nodules: the need for coordinated recommendations for “small” lesions. Rev Endocr Metab Disord, 2025. doi:10.1007/s11154-025-09950-z.
27. Ciarallo A, Rivera J. Radioactive iodine therapy in differentiated thyroid cancer: 2020 update. AJR Am J Roentgenol, 2020, 215(2): 285-291.
28. Zheng X, Zhong L, Zhou T, et al. Association between TSH suppression therapy and type 2 deiodinase gene polymorphism in differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Endokrynol Pol, 2023. doi:10.5603/EP.a2023.0043.
29. Boucai L, Zafereo M, Cabanillas ME. Thyroid cancer: a review. JAMA, 2024, 331(5): 425-435.
30. Tao Y, Li P, Feng C, et al. New insights into immune cells and immunotherapy for thyroid cancer. Immunol Invest, 2023, 52(8): 1039-1064.
31. Adam P, Kircher S, Sbiera I, et al. FGF-receptors and PD-L1 in anaplastic and poorly differentiated thyroid cancer: evaluation of the preclinical rationale. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne), 2021, 12: 712107.
32. 张正, 张莉芳, 刘彦廷, 等. 《2022全球癌症统计报告》解读. 中国医院统计, 1-8.
33. Curigliano G, Eggermont AMM. Adherence to COVID-19 vaccines in cancer patients: promote it and make it happen! Eur J Cancer, 2021, 153: 257-259.

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