The global burden of thyroid cancer in high-income Asia-Pacific: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease study

Background: Thyroid cancer has become increasingly prevalent and threatens human health. Few studies have explored the incidence of thyroid cancer in Asia and its relationship with social-progress factors. Methods: We analyzed Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019 data specific to thyroid cancer. Incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rates were used to evaluate the burden of thyroid cancer. Results: The age-standardized incidence, prevalence, and DALY rates per 100,000 population were 1.34% (95% UI, 2.44–3.07), 2.79% (95% UI, 18.82–23.77) and 16.49% (95% UI, 14.6–18), respectively, for all of Asia in 2019. In 2019, the DALY rate of thyroid cancer in the High-income Asia-Pacific region was the highest and mortality due to thyroid cancer in the High-income Asia-Pacific region was also the highest. The growth trend of DALYs in the High-income Asia-Pacific region was much steeper than those in other Asian regions. In all Asian regions and in the High-income Asia-Pacific region, the incidence, prevalence, mortality and DALY rates of thyroid cancer in female patients were drastically higher than those in male patients. Among Asian patients with thyroid cancer, the DALY rate was higher in men aged 80–89 years than in women. The DALY rate gradually increased with age. In the High-income Asia-Pacific region, the mortality rate of patients with thyroid cancer decreased with age. The prevalence was highest in those aged 40–79 years. Conclusion: The disease burden of thyroid cancer in the High-income Asia-Pacific region was significantly higher than those in other regions, which may be due to overdiagnosis. The increasing incidence of thyroid cancer seems to indicate that thyroid cancer is still a public health problem in Asia. Therefore, some health policy adjustments will be meaningful.