Thyroid Cancer 101; Mortality in an aging population
- Thyroid cancer is the fifth most common cancer diagnosed in women and accounts for more than 3 percent of all new cancer diagnoses.
- Fortunately, most patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer will survive.
- The annual mortality rate from thyroid cancer in the U.S. is constant at 0.5 per 100,000 population.
- The impact of age and an aging population
- Most patients diagnosed with differentiated thyroid cancer are younger than 55 years old.
- Patients diagnosed with medullary or anaplastic thyroid cancer are more likely to be ages 55 and older.
- Being age 55 or older is associated with worse survival rates.
- Aging population accounts for the entirety of the increase in thyroid cancer mortality, it certainly plays a role.
- Older age is associated with a shifting molecular profile of thyroid tumors and with an incomplete response to therapy.
- A national spotlight on overtreatment appropriately swings the pendulum toward more cautious and conservative approaches for most differentiated thyroid cancers.
- Clinicians should guard against ignoring the fact that older age portends a greater risk of cancer mortality.
- Until we obtain a grasp on why thyroid cancer behaves differently based on the age of the patient, clinicians must consider their patient’s age when counseling them about the most appropriate treatment plan.
- Second opinion before therapy at 310-393-8860 or thyroid.manager@protonmail.com.
- Dr.G.
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