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Statistics at a Glance

At a Glance

Estimated New Cases in 2018 53,990

% of All New Cancer Cases 3.1%

Estimated Deaths in 2018 2,060

% of All Cancer Deaths 0.3%

Percent Surviving
5 Years

98.1% 2008-2014
Year New Cases - SEER 9 New Cases - SEER 13 Deaths - U.S. Percent Surviving 5 Years - SEER 9
Observed Modeled Trend Observed Modeled Trend Observed Modeled Trend Observed Modeled Trend
1975 4.85 4.73 - - 0.55 0.56 92.89% 92.51%
1976 4.79 5.03 - - 0.56 0.55 93.09% 92.66%
1977 5.45 5.34 - - 0.57 0.54 91.71% 92.81%
1978 5.09 4.99 - - 0.55 0.53 92.47% 92.96%
1979 4.48 4.67 - - 0.53 0.52 91.44% 93.10%
1980 4.33 4.36 - - 0.48 0.51 93.03% 93.25%
1981 4.42 4.47 - - 0.50 0.50 94.16% 93.39%
1982 4.63 4.57 - - 0.48 0.49 93.31% 93.52%
1983 4.71 4.68 - - 0.44 0.48 93.61% 93.66%
1984 4.85 4.79 - - 0.47 0.47 92.51% 93.79%
1985 5.13 4.91 - - 0.45 0.46 92.81% 93.92%
1986 5.33 5.02 - - 0.46 0.45 94.49% 94.04%
1987 5.04 5.14 - - 0.45 0.44 95.26% 94.16%
1988 4.93 5.26 - - 0.44 0.43 94.95% 94.29%
1989 5.37 5.39 - - 0.44 0.43 93.54% 94.40%
1990 5.49 5.52 - - 0.44 0.44 95.64% 94.52%
1991 5.49 5.65 - - 0.43 0.44 94.42% 94.63%
1992 5.88 5.78 5.82 5.66 0.46 0.44 93.28% 94.75%
1993 5.65 5.92 5.70 5.83 0.46 0.45 94.55% 95.04%
1994 6.09 6.06 5.95 6.00 0.42 0.45 95.94% 95.31%
1995 6.23 6.21 6.15 6.18 0.44 0.45 96.06% 95.57%
1996 6.52 6.35 6.30 6.36 0.45 0.45 95.19% 95.82%
1997 6.78 6.50 6.67 6.54 0.46 0.46 95.38% 96.05%
1998 6.99 6.94 6.73 6.74 0.44 0.46 96.42% 96.28%
1999 7.35 7.41 7.30 7.18 0.45 0.46 97.00% 96.48%
2000 7.62 7.90 7.51 7.65 0.48 0.47 96.38% 96.68%
2001 8.31 8.43 8.17 8.16 0.48 0.47 96.35% 96.87%
2002 9.24 9.00 8.89 8.70 0.48 0.47 97.21% 97.04%
2003 9.66 9.60 9.25 9.27 0.45 0.48 97.41% 97.21%
2004 10.15 10.25 9.68 9.88 0.48 0.48 97.42% 97.37%
2005 10.98 10.93 10.65 10.53 0.48 0.48 97.48% 97.51%
2006 11.33 11.67 11.03 11.23 0.49 0.49 98.44% 97.65%
2007 12.41 12.45 11.92 11.96 0.50 0.49 97.98% 97.79%
2008 13.23 13.29 12.58 12.75 0.52 0.49 97.92% 97.91%
2009 14.48 14.18 13.86 13.59 0.52 0.50 98.73% 98.03%
2010 13.95 14.36 13.44 13.79 0.51 0.50 98.14% 98.14%
2011 14.80 14.55 14.26 13.99 0.51 0.50 - 98.25%
2012 14.98 14.74 14.34 14.20 0.48 0.51 - 98.34%
2013 15.14 14.93 14.63 14.40 0.52 0.51 - 98.44%
2014 15.14 15.12 14.62 14.61 0.50 0.51 - 98.53%
2015 15.03 15.32 14.57 14.83 0.51 0.52 - 98.61%

Modeled trend lines were calculated from the underlying rates using the Joinpoint Trend Analysis Software.

Number of New Cases and Deaths per 100,000: The number of new cases of thyroid cancer was 14.5 per 100,000 men and women per year. The number of deaths was 0.5 per 100,000 men and women per year. These rates are age-adjusted and based on 2011-2015 cases and deaths.

Lifetime Risk of Developing Cancer: Approximately 1.2 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 2013-2015 data.

Prevalence of This Cancer: In 2015, there were an estimated 765,547 people living with thyroid cancer in the United States.

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Survival Statistics

How Many People Survive 5 Years Or More after Being Diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer?

Relative survival statistics compare the survival of patients diagnosed with cancer with the survival of people in the general population who are the same age, race, and sex and who have not been diagnosed with cancer. Because survival statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. No two patients are entirely alike, and treatment and responses to treatment can vary greatly.

98.1%

Percent Surviving
5 Years

98.1%

Based on data from SEER 18 2008-2014. Gray figures represent those who have died from thyroid cancer. Green figures represent those who have survived 5 years or more.

Additional Information

Survival by Stage

Cancer stage at diagnosis, which refers to extent of a cancer in the body, determines treatment options and has a strong influence on the length of survival. In general, if the cancer is found only in the part of the body where it started it is localized (sometimes referred to as stage 1). If it has spread to a different part of the body, the stage is regional or distant. For thyroid cancer, 67.3% are diagnosed at the local stage. The 5-year survival for localized thyroid cancer is 99.9%.

Percent of Cases & 5-Year Relative Survival by Stage at Diagnosis: Thyroid Cancer
Stage Percent of Cases 5-Year Relative Survival
Localized
Confined to Primary Site		 67% 99.9%
Regional
Spread to Regional Lymph Nodes		 27% 98.0%
Distant
Cancer has Metastasized		 4% 55.5%
Unknown
Unstaged		 2% 89.1%

SEER 18 2008-2014, All Races, Both Sexes by SEER Summary Stage 2000

Additional Information

Number of New Cases and Deaths

How Common Is This Cancer?

Compared to other cancers, thyroid cancer is relatively rare.

Rank Common Types of Cancer Estimated New
Cases 2018		 Estimated
Deaths 2018
1. Breast Cancer (Female) 266,120 40,920
2. Lung and Bronchus Cancer 234,030 154,050
3. Prostate Cancer 164,690 29,430
4. Colorectal Cancer 140,250 50,630
5. Melanoma of the Skin 91,270 9,320
6. Bladder Cancer 81,190 17,240
7. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 74,680 19,910
8. Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer 65,340 14,970
9. Uterine Cancer 63,230 11,350
10. Leukemia 60,300 24,370
- - -
12. Thyroid Cancer 53,990 2,060

Thyroid cancer represents 3.1% of all new cancer cases in the U.S.

3.1%

In 2018, it is estimated that there will be 53,990 new cases of thyroid cancer and an estimated 2,060 people will die of this disease.

Who Gets This Cancer?

Thyroid cancer is more common in women than men and among those with a family history of thyroid disease. The number of new cases of thyroid cancer was 14.5 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2011-2015 cases.

Number of New Cases per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Thyroid Cancer
Males
All Races 7.3
White 7.8
Black 3.8
Asian/Pacific Islander 7.0
American Indian/Alaska Native 4.0
Hispanic 5.3
Non-Hispanic 7.8
Females
All Races 21.4
White 22.8
Black 13.4
Asian/Pacific Islander 20.2
American Indian/Alaska Native 14.3
Hispanic 19.6
Non-Hispanic 22.1

SEER 18 2011-2015, Age-Adjusted

Percent of New Cases by Age Group: Thyroid Cancer
Age Range Percent of New Cases
<20 1.9%
20-34 15.4%
35-44 18.6%
45-54 22.8%
55-64 21.0%
65-74 13.7%
75-84 5.4%
>84 1.3%

Thyroid cancer is most frequently diagnosed among people aged 45-54.

Median Age
At Diagnosis

51

SEER 18 2011-2015, All Races, Both Sexes

Who Dies From This Cancer?

For thyroid cancer, death rates increase with age. The number of deaths was 0.5 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2011-2015 deaths.

Number of Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Thyroid Cancer
Males
All Races 0.5
White 0.5
Black 0.4
Asian/Pacific Islander 0.5
American Indian/Alaska Native Not Shown, <16 cases
Hispanic 0.5
Non-Hispanic 0.5
Females
All Races 0.5
White 0.5
Black 0.6
Asian/Pacific Islander 0.7
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.5
Hispanic 0.7
Non-Hispanic 0.5

U.S. 2011-2015, Age-Adjusted

Percent of Deaths by Age Group: Thyroid Cancer
Age Range Percent of Deaths
<20 0.2%
20-34 0.8%
35-44 1.7%
45-54 7.5%
55-64 18.0%
65-74 25.6%
75-84 27.1%
>84 19.1%

The percent of thyroid cancer deaths is highest among people aged 75-84.

Median Age
At Death

73

U.S. 2011-2015, All Races, Both Sexes

Trends in Rates

Changes Over Time

Keeping track of the number of new cases, deaths, and survival over time (trends) can help scientists understand whether progress is being made and where additional research is needed to address challenges, such as improving screening or finding better treatments.

Using statistical models for analysis, rates for new thyroid cancer cases have been rising on average 3.1% each year over the last 10 years. Death rates have been rising on average 0.7% each year over 2006-2015. 5-year survival trends are shown below.

New Cases, Deaths and 5-Year Relative Survival
View Data Table

More About This Cancer

Cancer and the Thyroid

Illustration of thyroid.
Figure: Thyroid And Parathyroid Gland Anatomy
Click to enlarge.
Figure: Thyroid And Parathyroid Gland Anatomy

Figure: Anatomy of the thyroid and parathyroid glands; illustration shows the thyroid gland at the base of the throat near the trachea. An inset shows the front and back views. The front view shows that the thyroid is shaped like a butterfly, with the right lobe and left lobe connected by a thin piece of tissue called the isthmus. The back view shows the four pea-sized parathyroid glands.

This cancer forms in the thyroid gland, an organ at the base of the throat that makes hormones that help control heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and weight.

Four main types of thyroid cancer are papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic thyroid cancer. The four types are based on how the cancer cells look under a microscope.

Additional Information

More Information

Here are some resources for learning more about thyroid cancer.

References

All statistics in this report are based on statistics from SEER and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. Most can be found within:

Noone AM, Howlader N, Krapcho M, Miller D, Brest A, Yu M, Ruhl J, Tatalovich Z, Mariotto A, Lewis DR, Chen HS, Feuer EJ, Cronin KA (eds). SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2015, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2015/, based on November 2017 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER web site, April 2018.

Suggested Citation

All material in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.

SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Thyroid Cancer. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/thyro.html

These stat facts focus on population statistics that are based on the U.S. population. Because these statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. To see tailored statistics, browse the SEER Cancer Statistics Review. To see statistics for a specific state, go to the State Cancer Profiles.

The statistics presented in these stat facts are based on the most recent data available, most of which can be found in the SEER Cancer Statistics Review. In some cases, different year spans may be used. Estimates for the current year are based on past data.

Cancer is a complex topic. There is a wide range of information available. These stat facts do not address causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up care, or decision making, although links are provided to information in many of these areas.