Thyroid cancer in the era of endocrine disrupting compounds

Abstract

Thyroid cancer has the highest prevalence of all endocrine malignancies, accounting for 1–3% of all human tumors. The incidence of differentiated thyroid cancer has increased globally in the last 10-20 years, faster than that of any other cancer type. The rising incidence has been observed in females, young adults, and children. The possible explanation might be the new achievements in diagnostic procedures, as thyroid ultrasonography and elastography, plus molecular testing and tumoral markers. Even though “over diagnosis” cannot be excluded, the increased incidence for all tumor sizes may suggest that other factors, such as lifestyle changes and environmental influences may contribute to a real increase.