Evaluation of Gender Inequity in Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis: Differences by Sex in US Thyroid Cancer Incidence Compared With a Meta-analysis of Subclinical Thyroid Cancer Rates at Autopsy

Abstract

Thyroid cancer is more common in women than in men, but the associated causes of these differences are not fully understood.

Objective: To compare sex-specific thyroid cancer rates in the US to the prevalence of subclinical thyroid cancer at autopsy.

Data sources: Data on thyroid cancer incidence and mortality by sex among US adults (≥18 years) were extracted from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) data for 1975 to 2017. Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were searched for studies on the prevalence of subclinical thyroid cancer at autopsy of men and women, from inception to May 31, 2021.

Study selection: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline was used to perform a systematic search for articles reporting the prevalence of subclinical thyroid cancer in autopsy results of both women and men. Of 101 studies identified, 8 studies containing 12 data sets met inclusion criteria; ie, they examined the whole thyroid gland, stated the number of thyroids examined, and reported results by sex. Excluded studies reported thyroid cancer in Japan after the atomic bombs or Chernobyl after the nuclear disaster; did not examine the whole thyroid gland or had incomplete information on thyroid examination methods; or did not report rates by sex.