For reasons that are not currently well understood, the incidence of thyroid cancer has rapidly increased in several countries over the past three decades. 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. We combined 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.
For more information, contact Cari Kitahara.