Why Koreans are prone to thyroid cancerSurgeon Kwon Hyung-ju

The development of thyroid cancer

According to 2022 statistics, thyroid cancer ranks first in incidence among all cancers. In the past, the diagnosis rate decreased due to the problem of overdiagnosis of thyroid cancer, but since 2016, it has been increasing again at an annual rate of 2.4%. However, thyroid cancer is known to have the best treatment course as it has a high incidence, so if you receive proper treatment, you will not have any problems.

Thyroid cancer is more prevalent in women than in men. Thyroid cancer can be caused by radiation, obesity, family history, and many other diseases that accompany thyroid cancer. Among them, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which increases the risk of thyroid cancer by about 2.3 times, is said to occur more often in women, especially women in Korea. In the United States and other countries, the probability of having Hashimoto's thyroiditis in patients with thyroid cancer is about 10%, but in Korea, it is close to 30%. It is speculated that this may be the reason for the high proportion of women in Korea among thyroid cancer patients.

Thyroid Cancer and Selenium

Many of you probably know that selenium is effective against Hashimoto's thyroiditis*, the most common cause of hypothyroidism. However, it was not known whether selenium had a therapeutic effect on thyroid cancer. Recently, it was published that the addition of selenium to the treatment of papillary thyroid cancer improved the treatment effect. This result is interesting because papillary cancer accounts for 95% of thyroid cancers. Research is ongoing into whether selenium may be effective in other cancers.

The importance of early treatment of thyroid cancer

According to the National Cancer Center's cancer statistics, the survival rate of thyroid cancer patients has been reported to be 100% since the 2010s. Depending on the stage of cancer, the survival rate is 100% for locally advanced thyroid cancer, while it is 60% for distant metastasis. This is because tests such as thyroid ultrasound have become easier, making it possible to detect and treat thyroid cancer at an early stage.

More than 80% of thyroid cancers are asymptomatic. Symptoms such as a change in voice, a feeling of getting stuck when eating, or a sore throat may occur, but when you go to the doctor after these symptoms occur, the cancer is already at an advanced stage. Therefore, in order to receive early treatment for thyroid cancer, it is recommended to have regular thyroid examinations after the age of 40.