ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Geriatric Medicine
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1684535
Global, Regional, and National Epidemiology of Thyroid Cancer in Middle-Aged and Elderly Adults from 1990 to 2021
Provisionally accepted
Ling Wang1
LinZhi Liao1
JueZhi Huang1
Qi Zhang1YanQing Xiong1FuYu Tian1Xin Liu1YanJia Liu1LuYun Jiang2*
Yan Xie2*- 1Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
- 2Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
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Background: Thyroid cancer (TC) has shown dynamic changes in its global burden over the past decades. This study aimed to evaluate trends in incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of TC among middle-aged and elderly adults across 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021. Methods: Data were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Age-standardized rates (ASRs) of incidence, death, and DALYs, estimated annual percentage change (EAPC), and the sociodemographic index (SDI) were used to quantify trends. A Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model was employed to predict future burden through 2035, and global risk-attributable factors were assessed. Results: Globally, TC incidence cases among adults aged 55 and older increased by 185% from 1990 to 2021, with deaths and DALYs rising by 116% and 108%, respectively. The age-standardized incidence rate rose significantly (EAPC=0.95), while mortality and DALY rates slightly declined. Most regions showed rising incidence, with the exception of Central Europe. Females consistently exhibited higher TC burden, but the gender gap is gradually narrowing. Peak incidence occurred at ages 70-74 for females and 85-89 for males in 2021. High body mass index (BMI) emerged as the leading modifiable risk factor. Conclusions: The rising burden of thyroid cancer in aging populations calls for integrated health policies emphasizing prevention, early detection, and public education. Efforts should focus on reducing modifiable risks, particularly high BMI, and developing age-and sex-specific interventions. Addressing gender disparities and regional inequalities should also be central to global and national cancer control strategies.
Keywords: thyroid cancer, Middle-aged and elderly, Global burden of disease, Incidence, Mortality, Disability-adjusted life years
Received: 12 Aug 2025; Accepted: 06 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Liao, Huang, Zhang, Xiong, Tian, Liu, Liu, Jiang and Xie. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
LuYun Jiang, jly666@163.com
Yan Xie, xieyan000@cdutcm.edu.cn
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