UK Thyroid Cancer incidence statistics
This page contains thyroid cancer incidence statistics for the UK with information by sex, by age, trends over time and geographic variation. The ICD code for thyroid cancer is ICD9 193, and ICD 10 C73.
Thyroid cancer incidence by:
In 2006, 1,933 people were diagnosed with thyroid cancer in the UK. Thyroid cancer is within the top twenty most common cancers for UK females (number 18) , with 1,421 new cases diagnosed in 2006 ( Table 1.1) 1-4. This compares to 512 cases in males - giving a male:female ratio of 1:3.
It has been estimated that the lifetime risk of developing thyroid cancer is 1 in 842 for men and 1 in 324 for women in the UK. These were calculated on February 2009 using incidence and mortality data for 2001-2005 6.
Figure 1.1 shows the age-specific cases and rates for thyroid cancer in the UK.Thyroid cancer is rare in children, while in adults the incidence rates rise steadily with age. Although the rates are highest in the over 75s, there is a substantial number of cases at younger adult age. Almost half (48%) of all cases occur in people aged less than 50 years.
In Great Britain the age-standardised incidence rates have more than doubled from 1.4 to 2.9 per 100,000 persons between 1975 and 2006.
Figure 1.3 shows the thyroid cancer incidence trend for the UK.
In the UK the age-standardised incidence rates have increased from 1.8 to 2.9 per 100,000 population between 1993 and 2006. There has been a larger increase in female incidence rates, from 2.4 to 4.2 per 100,000 population. ( Figure 1.2).
In 2002 there were 19,034 new cases of thyroid cancer diagnosed in the European Union (EU). The highest incidence rate was in Malta, where the female rate was more than seven times higher than the rate of the lowest ranking country, Bulgaria (12.6 versus 1.7 per 100,000 females) . More cases occur in females aged 15-44 than in any other age group. Age-standardised rates for the UK are lower than the EU average ( Figure 1.4). 5
The highest rates for thyroid cancer in the world occur in Northern America, where the female age-standardised rate is 8.1 per 100,000 females, compared with 1.4 per 100,000 females in Western Africa. Incidence is low in all parts of Africa. ( Figure 1.5) 5
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References for thyroid cancer incidence
- Office for National Statistics, Cancer Statistics registrations: Registrations of cancer diagnosed in 2006, England. Series MB1 no.37. 2009, National Statistics: London.
- ISD Online. Information and Statistics Division, NHS Scotland, 2009.
- Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit. Cancer Incidence in Wales. 2009
- Northern Ireland Cancer Registry 2009. Cancer Incidence and Mortality
- IARC. GLOBOCAN 2002. Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide (2002 estimates). 2006
- Statistical Information Team, Cancer Research UK, 2009
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