Definition
Incidence rate of invasive thyroid cancer for a defined population in a specified time interval. Rates are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. Standard Population. Rates are per 100,000 population.Numerator
Number of new cases of thyroid cancer among a defined population in a specified time interval.Denominator
Defined population in a specified time interval.Why Is This Important?
During 2018, 423 male and 1,267 female New Jersey residents were diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Thyroid cancer is different than many adult cancers in that it occurs about 3 times more often in women than in men, and it is more frequently diagnosed in younger adults.How Are We Doing?
Between 1990 and 2018, the age-adjusted thyroid cancer rate in females rose from 6.9 cases per 100,000 to 26.5 cases per 100,000. In males, the increase was smaller, from about 3 per 100,000 to about 9 per 100,000 in 2018. The reason for the sharp increase in thyroid cancer incidence rates, especially in recent years, is unknown. Theorized explanations include increased diagnosis of thyroid cancer by medical practitioners and increased prevalence of possible risk factors such as diagnostic radiation and obesity. The lifetime risk of developing thyroid cancer is 1 in 143 for men and 1 in 52 for women.What Is Being Done?
A Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan was developed by the Task Force on Cancer Prevention, Early Detection and Treatment in New Jersey which aims to reduce the incidence, illness and death due to cancer among New Jersey residents. [https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/ncccp/ccc_plans.htm]