Cancer Research UK on Google+ Cancer Research UK on Facebook Cancer Research UK on Twitter
 

Thyroid cancer incidence statistics

Thyroid cancer incidence statistics are presented here including by sex, age, trends over time and geographic variation. The ICD code for thyroid cancer is ICD-10 C73.

The latest incidence statistics available for thyroid cancer in the UK are 2010. Please note that data in this section are for 2008 and that 2010 data are coming soon. Find out why more up to date statistics are not yet available.

On this page:

 
 

By sex

In 2008, 2,154 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 1,596 new cases diagnosed in 2008  (Table 1.1) 1-4. This compares to 558 cases in males - giving a male:female ratio of 1:3.

It has been estimated that the lifetime risk of developing thyroid cancer in 2008 is 1 in 650 for men and 1 in 243 for women in the UK. This was done  using the AMP method 5.

Table 1.1: Thyroid cancer (C73), Number of New Cases, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 2008

England Wales Scotland Northern Ireland United Kingdom
Male Cases 466 26 52 14 558
Crude Rate 1.8 1.8 2.1 1.6 1.9
AS Rate 1.7 1.6 1.9 1.5 1.7
AS Rate - 95% LCL* 1.5 1.0 1.4 0.7 1.5
AS Rate - 95% UCL* 1.8 2.2 2.4 2.3 1.8
Female Cases 1,372 54 123 47 1,596
Crude Rate 5.2 3.5 4.6 5.2 5.1
AS Rate 4.8 3.3 4.3 4.8 4.7
AS Rate - 95% LCL* 4.6 2.4 3.5 3.4 4.5
AS Rate - 95% UCL* 5.1 4.2 5.0 6.2 4.9
Persons Cases 1,838 80 175 61 2,154
Crude Rate 3.6 2.7 3.4 3.4 3.5
AS Rate 3.3 2.5 3.1 3.2 3.2
AS Rate - 95% LCL* 3.1 1.9 2.6 2.4 3.1
AS Rate - 95% UCL* 3.4 3.0 3.6 4.0 3.3

Download this table XLS (42KB)

*95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits around the AS Rate

section updated 22/07/11

Back to top
 

By age

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. Rates peak in 35 to 39 year olds and again in the over 70s. 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.

Figure 1.1: Thyroid cancer (C73), Average Number of New Cases per Year and Age-Specific Incidence Rates, UK, 2006-2008

cases_crude_thyroid1.swf

Download this chart XLS (68KB)

section updated 22/07/11

Back to top
 

Trends over time

In Great Britain the age-standardised incidence rates have more than doubled from 1.5 to 3.1 per 100,000 persons between 1975-1977 and 2006-2008.

Figure 1.2: Thyroid cancer (C73), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, Great Britain, 1975-2008

inc_asr_gb_thyroid.swf

Download this chart XLS (61KB)

Figure 1.3 shows the thyroid cancer incidence trend for the UK.

In the UK the age-standardised incidence rates in males have increased from 1.1 to 1.7 per 100,000 population between 1993 and 2008. There has been a larger increase in female incidence rates, from 2.4 to 4.7 per 100,000 population, respectively (Figure 1.3).

Figure 1.3: Thyroid cancer (C73), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, UK, 1993-2008

inc_asr_uk_thyroid.swf

Download this chart XLS (58KB)

section updated 22/07/11

 

Back to top
 

In the EU and worldwide

In 2008 there were an estimated 33,600 new cases of thyroid cancer diagnosed in the European Union (EU-27). The highest incidence rate was estimated to be in France, where the female rate was five times higher than the rate of the lowest ranking country, Greece (18.6 versus 3.3 per 100,000 females).  Age-standardised rates for the UK are lower than the EU average (Figure 1.4) 6.

Figure 1.4: Thyroid cancer (C73), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, EU-27 Countries, 2008 Estimates

EU27_inc_thyroid.swf

Download this chart XLS (68KB)

The highest rates for thyroid cancer in the world occur in Northern America, where the female age-standardised rate is 15.1 per 100,000 females, compared with 1.2 per 100,000 females in Middle Africa. Incidence is low in all parts of Africa. Worldwide more cases occur in females aged 15-44 than in any other age group (Figure 1.5) 7.

Figure 1.5: Thyroid cancer (C73), World Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, World Regions, 2008 Estimates

world_inc_thyroid.swf

Download this chart XLS (71KB)

section updated 22/07/11

Back to top
Rate this page:
Submit rating
Rated 5 out of 5 based on 1 votes
Rate this page
Rate this page for no comments box
Please enter feedback to continue submitting
Send feedback
Question about cancer? Contact our information nurse team

Visit our A-Z topic pages

 
 

References for thyroid cancer incidence

  1.  Office for National Statistics, Cancer Statistics registrations: Registrations of cancer diagnosed in 2008, England. (PDF 244KB) Series MB1 no.39. 2010, National Statistics: London.
  2.  ISD Online. Information and Statistics Division, NHS Scotland, 2011.
  3.  Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit.Cancer Incidence in Wales
  4.   Northern Ireland Cancer Registry 2011. Cancer Incidence and Mortality
  5.  Sasieni PD, Shelton J, Ormiston-Smith N, Thomson CS, Silcocks PB  What is the lifetime risk of developing cancer?: the effect of adjusting for multiple primaries. Br J Cancer, 2011. 105(3): p. 460-5.
  6.  European Age-Standardised rates calculated by the Statistical Information Team at Cancer Research UK, 2011 using data from GLOBOCAN, IARC, version 1.2. http://globocan.iarc.fr
  7.  Ferlay J, Shin JR, Forman D, Mathers C, Parkin DM. GLOBOCAN 2008 v1.2, Cancer Incidence and Mortality Worldwide: IARC CancerBase No.10 [Internet]. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2010. Available from http://globocan.iarc.fr