Abstract
BACKGROUND
The incidence of thyroid cancer is rapidly increasing. The aim of this study is to examine time trends in the characteristics of thyroid cancer and to determine the cause of the increase of thyroid cancer. METHODS: We evaluated 4,646 patients that underwent surgery at the Asan Medical Center for thyroid cancer between 1995 and 2006. Patients were evaluated concerning the histology, size of the primary tumor, sex, and age at the time of surgery. RESULTS: Surgically treated case of thyroid cancer increased from 91 in 1995 to 960 in 2006-a 10.5-fold increase during the 12-year period. Based on the histological categories, the proportion of papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) increased from 79.1% to 94.5% during the 12-year period. According to the primary tumor size in the PTCs, the proportion of PTCs measuring 1 cm or smaller increased from 14% to 56% during the 12-year period. Whereas the proportion of PTCs measuring from 1 cm to 2 cm were similar (between 31% and 41% during the 12-year period), the proportion of PTC measuring from 2 cm to 4 cm decreased from 51% to 11% during the 12-year period. Thyroid cancer affected women more often than men by a ratio of 3.7. PTC was most common in patients in their forties, especially among women. CONCLUSIONS: The increasing number of surgically treated cases of thyroid cancer is predominantly due to an increase of papillary thyroid cancer measuring 1 cm or less. These trends suggest that the increase in surgically treated cases of thyroid cancer reflects increased detection of occult thyroid cancer due to advances in medical surveillance of impalpable nodules rather than a true increase in the number of thyroid cancers.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
- Changing Trends of Thyroid Cancer Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Pattern in South Korea: Insights from an Institutional Database and the Korean Cancer Center Registry Database
Yung Jee Kang, Nayeon Choi, Jungirl Seok, Sun Wook Kim, Tae-Hyuk Kim, Jae Hoon Chung, Young-Ik Son, Man Ki Chung
International Journal of Thyroidology.2024; 17(2): 277. CrossRef - A Case Report on Papillary Thyroid Cancer Patients after Thyroidectomy Treated with Korean Medicine and Immunotherapy
Eun-Bi Ko, Kwon-Jun Jang, Jung-min Yang, Jae-sung Oh
The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine.2021; 42(5): 746. CrossRef - Public perceptions of changing the terminology for low-risk thyroid cancer: a qualitative focus group study
Brooke Nickel, Caitlin Semsarian, Ray Moynihan, Alexandra Barratt, Susan Jordan, Donald McLeod, Juan P Brito, Kirsten McCaffery
BMJ Open.2019; 9(2): e025820. CrossRef - Study Protocol of Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study of Active Surveillance on Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma (MAeSTro)
Jae Hoon Moon, Ji-hoon Kim, Eun Kyung Lee, Kyu Eun Lee, Sung Hye Kong, Yeo Koon Kim, Woo-jin Jung, Chang Yoon Lee, Roh-Eul Yoo, Yul Hwangbo, Young Shin Song, Min Joo Kim, Sun Wook Cho, Su-jin Kim, Eun Jae Jung, June Young Choi, Chang Hwan Ryu, You Jin Lee
Endocrinology and Metabolism.2018; 33(2): 278. CrossRef - Temporal Trends in the Presentation, Treatment, and Outcome of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: An Israeli Multicenter Study
Dania Hirsch, Orit Twito, Sigal Levy, Gideon Bachar, Eyal Robenshtok, David J. Gross, Haggi Mazeh, Carlos Benbassat, Simona Grozinsky-Glasberg
Thyroid.2018; 28(3): 369. CrossRef - Strong association of relatively low and extremely excessive iodine intakes with thyroid cancer in an iodine-replete area
Hye Jeong Kim, Na Kyung Kim, Hyeong Kyu Park, Dong Won Byun, Kyoil Suh, Myung Hi Yoo, Yong-Ki Min, Sun Wook Kim, Jae Hoon Chung
European Journal of Nutrition.2017; 56(3): 965. CrossRef - Clinical Analysis of Elderly Thyroid Cancer Patients Following Thyroidect
Keun Hee Lee, Hak Hoon Jun, Jong Woo Kim, Seung Ki Kim, Jin Hyung Heo
Korean Journal of Endocrine Surgery.2016; 16(4): 89. CrossRef - Use of CD56 and cyclin D1 in differentiating thyroid hyperplasia from papillary thyroid carcinoma
Maha E. Salama, Wael S. Ibrahim
Egyptian Journal of Pathology.2016; 36(1): 39. CrossRef - Clinical Analysis of Elderly Thyroid Cancer Patients Following Thyroidect
Keun Hee Lee, Hak Hoon Jun, Jong Woo Kim, Seung Ki Kim, Jin Hyung Heo
Korean Journal of Endocrine Surgery.2016; 16(4): 89. CrossRef - A Closer Look at Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Won Bae Kim
Endocrinology and Metabolism.2015; 30(1): 1. CrossRef - Korea's Thyroid-Cancer “Epidemic” — Screening and Overdiagnosis
Hyeong Sik Ahn, Hyun Jung Kim, H. Gilbert Welch
New England Journal of Medicine.2014; 371(19): 1765. CrossRef - Standardized Thyroid Cancer Mortality in Korea between 1985 and 2010
Yun Mi Choi, Tae Yong Kim, Eun Kyung Jang, Hyemi Kwon, Min Ji Jeon, Won Gu Kim, Young Kee Shong, Won Bae Kim
Endocrinology and Metabolism.2014; 29(4): 530. CrossRef - The Association Between the Socioeconomic Status and Thyroid Cancer Prevalence; Based on the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010-2011
Seong-Woo Choi, So-Yeon Ryu, Mi-ah Han, Jong Park
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2013; 28(12): 1734. CrossRef - Burden of cancer in Korea during 2000–2020
Jae-Hyun Park, Kwang-Sig Lee, Kyu-Sik Choi
Cancer Epidemiology.2013; 37(4): 353. CrossRef - Changes in the Clinicopathological Characteristics and Outcomes of Thyroid Cancer in Korea over the Past Four Decades
Bo Youn Cho, Hoon Sung Choi, Young Joo Park, Jung Ah Lim, Hwa Young Ahn, Eun Kyung Lee, Kyung Won Kim, Ka Hee Yi, June-Key Chung, Yeo-Kyu Youn, Nam Han Cho, Do Joon Park, Chang-Soon Koh
Thyroid.2013; 23(7): 797. CrossRef - Diagnostic value of decreased expression of CD56 protein in papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland
Won Young Park, Seong Muk Jeong, Jung Hee Lee, Hyun Jeong Kang, Dong Hun Sin, Kyung Un Choi, Do Youn Park, Gi Yeong Huh, Mee Young Sol, Chang Hun Lee
Basic and Applied Pathology.2009; 2(2): 63. CrossRef