Home (https://seer.cancer.gov/)
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/)
Cancer Statistics (https://seer.cancer.gov/statistics/)
Thyroid Cancer
Reports on Cancer (https://seer.cancer.gov/statistics/reports.html)
Cancer Stat Facts
Cancer Stat Facts: Thyroid Cancer
Reports on Cancer
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statistics
/reports.html)
Annual Report to the Nation
(https://seer.cancer.gov/report_to_n
ation/)
Cancer Stat Facts
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/)
(https://seer.cancer.gov)
Statistics at a Glance
At a Glance
Estimated New Cases in 2018
Percent Surviving
5 Years
53,990
% of All New Cancer Cases
3.1%
Estimated Deaths in 2018
2,060
% of All Cancer Deaths
0.3%
98.1%
Common Cancer Sites
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts
/html/common.html)
Cancer Disparities
2008-2014
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts
/html/disparities.html)
16
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts
14
/html/urinb.html)
Breast (Female)
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts
/html/breast.html)
Colon and Rectum
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts
/html/colorect.html)
Number Per 100,000 Persons
Bladder
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1992
1996
2000
Kidney and Renal Pelvis
2004
2008
2012
2015
Year
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts
New Cases - SEER 13
/html/kidrp.html)
Leukemia
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts
/html/leuks.html)
Deaths - U.S.
Modeled trend lines were calculated from the underlying rates using the Joinpoint Trend Analysis So ware.
View Data Table
Lung and Bronchus
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts
/html/lungb.html)
Melanoma of the Skin
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts
/html/melan.html)
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts
/html/nhl.html)
Pancreas
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts
/html/pancreas.html)
Prostate
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts
/html/prost.html)
Number of New Cases and Deaths per 100,000: The
number of new cases of thyroid cancer was 14.5 per
100,000 men and women per year. The number of deaths
was 0.5 per 100,000 men and women per year. These rates
are age-adjusted and based on 2011-2015 cases and
deaths.
Lifetime Risk of Developing Cancer: Approximately 1.2
percent of men and women will be diagnosed with thyroid
cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 20132015 data.
Prevalence of This Cancer: In 2015, there were an
estimated 765,547 people living with thyroid cancer in the
United States.
Did you know?
New diagnoses of thyroid cancer have been on
the rise in recent decades.
Thyroid
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts
/html/thyro.html)
Uterus
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts
/html/corp.html)
More Cancer Types
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts
/more.html)
Survival Statistics
How Many People Survive 5 Years Or More after Being
Diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer?
Relative survival (https://seer.cancer.govhttps://surveillance.cancer.gov/survival/measures.html) statistics compare the survival
of patients diagnosed with cancer with the survival of people in the general population who are the same age, race, and
sex and who have not been diagnosed with cancer. Because survival statistics are based on large groups of people, they
cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. No two patients are entirely alike, and
treatment and responses to treatment can vary greatly.
Cancer Statistics Review, 19752015
Percent Surviving
5 Years
(https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_20
15/)
98.1%
Browse the Tables and
Figures
(https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975
_2015/browse_csr.php)
Access CSR Contents in PDF
(https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975
_2015/sections.html)
Generate Custom Reports
(https://seer.cancer.gov/cgibin/csr/1975_2015/search.pl)
Revision History
(https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975
_2015/revisions.html)
Based on data from SEER 18 2008-2014. Gray figures represent those who have died from thyroid cancer. Green figures
represent those who have survived 5 years or more.
Additional Information
More about 5-year survival rates (https://seer.cancer.govhttps://seer.cancer.gov/statistics/types/survival.html)
Survival by Stage
Cancer stage at diagnosis, which refers to extent of a cancer in the body, determines treatment options and has a strong
influence on the length of survival. In general, if the cancer is found only in the part of the body where it started it is
localized (sometimes referred to as stage 1). If it has spread to a different part of the body, the stage is regional or distant.
For thyroid cancer, 67.3% are diagnosed at the local stage. The 5-year survival for localized thyroid cancer is 99.9%.
Archive
ous.html)
Percent of Cases & 5-Year Relative Survival by Stage at Diagnosis: Thyroid Cancer
Percent of Cases by Stage
4% 2%
Localized
(67%)
Confined to
Primary Site
27%
67%
Regional
(27%)
Spread to
Regional
Lymph Nodes
Distant (4%)
Cancer Has
Metastasized
Unknown
(2%)
Unstaged
5-Year Relative Survival
Percent Surviving
(https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/previ
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
99.9%
98.0%
89.1%
55.5%
Localized
Regional
Distant
Unknown
Stage
SEER 18 2008-2014, All Races, Both Sexes by SEER Summary Stage 2000
Additional Information
More about thyroid cancer staging (https://seer.cancer.govhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/thyroid/patient/thyroid-treatmentpdq#section/all)
Number of New Cases and Deaths
How Common Is This Cancer?
Compared to other cancers, thyroid cancer is relatively rare.
Estimated
New
Cases 2018
Estimated
Deaths
2018
1. Breast Cancer (Female)
266,120
40,920
2. Lung and Bronchus Cancer
234,030
154,050
3. Prostate Cancer
164,690
29,430
4. Colorectal Cancer
140,250
50,630
5. Melanoma of the Skin
91,270
9,320
6. Bladder Cancer
81,190
17,240
7. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
74,680
19,910
65,340
14,970
63,230
11,350
60,300
24,370
-
-
53,990
2,060
Common Types of Cancer
8.
Kidney and Renal Pelvis
Cancer
9. Uterine Cancer
10. Leukemia
12. Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer represents 3.1% of all
new cancer cases in the U.S.
3.1%
In 2018, it is estimated that there will be 53,990 new cases of thyroid cancer and an estimated 2,060 people will die of this
disease.
Who Gets This Cancer?
Thyroid cancer is more common in women than men and among those with a family history of thyroid disease. The
number of new cases of thyroid cancer was 14.5 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2011-2015 cases.
Number of New Cases per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Thyroid Cancer
SEER 18 2011-2015, Age-Adjusted
7.3
All Races
21.4
7.8
White
22.8
3.8
Black
13.4
7.0
Asian /
Pacific Islander
20.2
4.0
American Indian /
Alaska Native
14.3
5.3
Hispanic
19.6
7.8
Non-Hispanic
22.1
Percent of New Cases by Age Group: Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer is most frequently
diagnosed among people aged 4554.
40
Percent of New Cases
35
Median Age
At Diagnosis
30
25
22.8%
18.6%
20
15.4%
15
51
21.0%
13.7%
10
5
0
5.4%
1.9%
<20
1.3%
20-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84
>84
Age
SEER 18 2011-2015, All Races, Both Sexes
Who Dies From This Cancer?
For thyroid cancer, death rates increase with age. The number of deaths was 0.5 per 100,000 men and women per year
based on 2011-2015 deaths.
Number of Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Thyroid Cancer
0.5
All Races
0.5
0.5
White
0.5
0.4
Black
0.6
0.5
Asian /
Pacific Islander
0.7
American Indian /
Alaska Native
0.5
0.5
Hispanic
0.7
0.5
Non-Hispanic
0.5
Not Shown, <16 cases
U.S. 2011-2015, Age-Adjusted
Percent of Deaths by Age Group: Thyroid Cancer
The percent of thyroid cancer deaths
is highest among people aged 75-84.
40
Percent of Deaths
35
30
25.6%
25
20
Median Age
At Death
27.1%
18.0%
19.1%
15
10
7.5%
5
0
0.2%
<20
0.8%
1.7%
20-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84
Age
U.S. 2011-2015, All Races, Both Sexes
>84
73
Trends in Rates
Changes Over Time
Keeping track of the number of new cases, deaths, and survival over time (trends) can help scientists understand whether
progress is being made and where additional research is needed to address challenges, such as improving screening or
finding better treatments.
Using statistical models for analysis, rates for new thyroid cancer cases have been rising on average 3.1% each year over
the last 10 years. Death rates have been rising on average 0.7% each year over 2006-2015. 5-year survival trends are
shown below.
New Cases, Deaths and 5-Year Relative Survival
18
Number Per 100,000 Persons
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
Year
New Cases - SEER 9
Deaths - U.S.
New cases come from SEER 9 Incidence. Deaths come from U.S. Mortality. 1975-2015, All Races, Both Sexes. Rates are
Age-Adjusted.
Modeled trend lines were calculated from the underlying rates using the Joinpoint Trend Analysis So ware.
(https://seer.cancer.govhttps://surveillance.cancer.gov/joinpoint/)
120
Percent Surviving
100
80
60
40
20
0
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
Year
5-Year Survival
SEER 9 5-Year Relative Survival Percent from 1975-2010, All Races, Both Sexes.
Modeled trend lines were calculated from the underlying rates using the Joinpoint Survival Model So ware.
(https://seer.cancer.govhttps://analysistools.nci.nih.gov/jpsurv/)
View Data Table
More About This Cancer
Cancer and the Thyroid
This cancer forms in the thyroid gland, an organ at the base of the throat that makes hormones that help control heart rate,
blood pressure, body temperature, and weight.
Four main types of thyroid cancer are papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic thyroid cancer. The four types are based
on how the cancer cells look under a microscope.
Additional Information
Learn more about thyroid cancer
(https://seer.cancer.govhttps://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/thyroid)
More Information
Here are some resources for learning more about thyroid cancer.
More about risk factors for thyroid cancer
(https://seer.cancer.govhttps://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/thy
roid/Patient#Keypoint2)
More about symptoms and diagnosis of thyroid cancer
(https://seer.cancer.govhttps://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/thy
roid/Patient#Keypoint4)
More about treatment options for thyroid cancer
Figure: Thyroid And Parathyroid Gland
Anatomy
Click to enlarge.
(https://seer.cancer.govhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/thyroid/patient/thyroidtreatment-pdq#section/all)
More about clinical trials
(https://seer.cancer.govhttps://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials)
More about cancer prevention (https://seer.cancer.govhttps://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/overview/patient)
References
All statistics in this report are based on statistics from SEER and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National
Center for Health Statistics. Most can be found within:
Noone AM, Howlader N, Krapcho M, Miller D, Brest A, Yu M, Ruhl J, Tatalovich Z, Mariotto A, Lewis DR, Chen HS, Feuer EJ,
Cronin KA (eds). SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2015, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD,
https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2015/ (https://seer.cancer.govhttps://seer.cancer.gov/csr/), based on November 2017 SEER
data submission, posted to the SEER web site, April 2018.
Suggested Citation
All material in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source,
however, is appreciated.
SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Thyroid Cancer. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD,
https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/thyro.html (https://seer.cancer.govhttps://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/thyro.html)
These stat facts focus on population statistics that are based on the U.S. population. Because these statistics are based on large
groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. To see tailored statistics,
browse the SEER Cancer Statistics Review (https://seer.cancer.govhttps://seer.cancer.gov/csr/). To see statistics for a specific state, go to
the State Cancer Profiles (https://seer.cancer.govhttps://statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov/).
The statistics presented in these stat facts are based on the most recent data available, most of which can be found in the SEER
Cancer Statistics Review (https://seer.cancer.govhttps://seer.cancer.gov/csr/). In some cases, different year spans may be used.
Estimates for the current year are based on past data.
Cancer is a complex topic. There is a wide range of information available. These stat facts do not address causes, symptoms,
diagnosis, treatment, follow-up care, or decision making, although links are provided to information in many of these areas.