Incidence of Thyroid Disorders

Many thyroid diseases go unnoticed for a long period of time. But the incidence of thyroid disorders, especially cancer, is on the rise.

Overall

• The Cleveland Clinic estimates that 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease. This number includes those suffering from thyroid cancer, thyroid-related autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto's or Grave's disease and underactive (hypothyroidism) or overactive (hyperthyroidism) disorders.

Nodules

• Dr. David Cooper, director of the division of endocrinology at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, estimates that approximately half, or 75 million, of American adults have thyroid nodules, most unaware of this development. In fact, most nodules go unnoticed, without symptoms, unless accidentally detected by unrelated tests. Nodules are small lumps that form in the thyroid, 95 percent of which are non-cancerous.

Sex

• The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists says nearly 80 percent of people suffering from thyroid disorders are female. But males most often develop actual thyroid cancer.

Cancer Increase

• The incidence of thyroid cancer in the United States is increasing while fatality remains flat. Quoted in the magazine Endocrine Today, Dr. Ernest L. Mazzaferri, professor emeritus of medicine and physiology at Ohio State University, attributes the rise to testing. "The real issue is that thyroid cancer is a major undiagnosed problem in men and may be due to ascertainment bias from more screenings in women," he said.

Data

• The American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute reported there were 37,340 new cases of thyroid cancer and 1,590 instances of thyroid cancer-related deaths in the United States in 2008. They also estimate that 388,386 Americans are currently diagnosed with thyroid cancer.