Overdiagnosis of Thyroid Cancer Persists
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 12, 2025 -- Overdiagnosis of thyroid cancer in the United States remains a persistent problem, according to a study published online Feb. 5 in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
Michelle M. Chen, M.D., from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, and colleagues examined whether U.S. thyroid cancer incidence has truly decreased or merely plateaued and to understand some of the underlying factors driving these trends. The analysis included 91,968 patients with thyroid cancer identified from the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database and the National Center for Health Statistics database (1975 to 2019).
The researchers found that the rise and subsequent plateau in the incidence of thyroid cancer have been primarily driven by time period effects, likely due to changing patterns in diagnostic pressure. The incidence of thyroid cancer by age increased during the study period and was driven predominantly by overdiagnosis. Although the incidence of thyroid cancer has plateaued, it remains at peak levels, suggesting that overdiagnosis remains a crucial unresolved public health issue.
"Further work is needed to help limit the current drivers of overdiagnosis and to implement novel solutions aimed at ... physicians, patients, and policy makers," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed ties to relevant organizations.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted February 2025
Read this next
Consistent Physical Activity Linked to Reduced All-Cause, CVD Mortality
FRIDAY, July 11, 2025 -- Consistently and increasingly accumulated physical activity (PA) is associated with a reduced risk for all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD)...
Increased Liver Enzyme Levels Seen With Use of Cannabidiol in Adults
THURSDAY, July 10, 2025 -- Use of cannabidiol (CBD) within the range consumers are taking with unregulated CBD products is associated with increased liver enzyme levels, according...
Majority of Patients With Lyme Disease Do Not Follow Up With Clinician
THURSDAY, July 10, 2025 -- Only 34 percent of patients with erythema migrans >5 cm are positive for Lyme disease by a standard two-tier testing (STTT) algorithm, and of...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.