Thyroid Cancer Diagnoses Expected to Increase in 2024

Thyroid cancer diagnoses are predicted to increase slightly in 2024 to 44,020 as compared to 43,720 in 2023. Deaths from thyroid cancer are expected to increase slightly as well, to 2,170 in 2024, from 2,120 in 2023. This is based on information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American Cancer Society.

”We are pleased for the ongoing advances in treatment research, which are extending the lives of many people with advanced and complex thyroid cancers, as well as creating more discussion about when treatment needs to happen immediately and when surveillance may be more appropriate.” said ThyCa Executive Director Gary Bloom, a 28-year thyroid cancer survivor.

While most thyroid cancer is usually treatable when found early, there are rare types such as medullary, anaplastic, and more aggressive forms of papillary and follicular that are difficult to treat. Some small papillary thyroid cancers can be followed by active monitoring, rather than needing more aggressive treatment. Regardless, early detection is still important as any type of thyroid cancer becomes more difficult to treat if it has spread widely.