International Pooled Thyroid Cancer Case-Control Studies

Overview

The incidence of thyroid cancer has rapidly increased in several countries over the past four decades. This large, pooled database is currently being used to examine associations between a wide range of reproductive and hormonal factors and thyroid cancer risk in women. 

Background

The incidence of thyroid cancer has rapidly increased in several countries over the past four decades. Although much of the increase is explained by overdiagnosis, rising incidence of more aggressive thyroid cancer subtypes and a more subtle rise in thyroid cancer mortality provide evidence of a true increase in the occurrence of the disease.

Individual case-control and cohort studies have suggested links between taller height and greater body mass index with an increased risk of thyroid cancer, particularly for papillary carcinoma, the most common and least aggressive subtype. However, these studies have been underpowered to examine associations for other anthropometric measurements, including waist circumference and weight change, and to evaluate differences by histological subtype. 

This effort combines data from 22 prospective studies in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia to evaluate these questions in one of the largest and most comprehensive studies on this topic to date. 

Kitahara CM, McCullough M, Franceschi S, et al. Anthropometric Factors and Thyroid Cancer Risk by Histological Subtype: Pooled Analysis of 22 Prospective Studies. Thyroid 2016. 

Study Team

Principal Investigator

Cari Kitahara, Ph.D., senior investigator, Radiation Epidemiology Branch