In-depth analysis of thyroid cancer mortality.

BACKGROUND: There are reports of an increasing thyroid cancer mortality rate. This study aimed to analyze the latest trends in this rate over time and compare findings from different cancer registries.

METHODS: Thyroid cancer incidence-based mortality (IBM) rates were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, including SEER-9, SEER-13, and SEER-18. The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) thyroid cancer mortality rate was acquired for comparison. Statistical analysis was performed using the JoinPoint software.

RESULTS: NCHS data revealed an overall annual percent change (APC) over 1987 to 2017 of 0.61 (P < .01), and the value was nearly four times greater for males compared to females. The overall IBM APC values for SEER-9, SEER-13, and SEER-18 were also positive and statistically significant (P < .01).

CONCLUSIONS: The increased thyroid cancer mortality rate observed in previous studies continues to be statistically significant based on updated NCHS and SEER IBM data.