Night Listening | Thyroid cancer, why does it target young people?

Recently, a topic called "Why does thyroid cancer like to target young people?" has become a hot search. Many netizens are discussing why more and more young people have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer in recent years. Today, let's talk about it.

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The increasing number of thyroid cancers may be related to the widespread use of ultrasound and other imaging examinations, the increase in examination frequency, and the improvement of disease diagnosis technology. After all, thyroid nodules could only be detected by hand in the past, with a detection rate of only 3%-7%. Now the accuracy of B-ultrasound has been greatly improved, and even small nodules of two or three millimeters can be found, with a detection rate of more than 70%.

Moreover, as the economic level improves, we pay more and more attention to health, more people are doing checkups, and the detection rate of thyroid cancer has naturally increased. But the good thing is that although the incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing year by year worldwide, the mortality rate of thyroid cancer has been steadily declining. From this perspective, thyroid cancer can be regarded as the "mildest cancer."

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So what factors are related to thyroid cancer? The first is ionizing radiation. At present, ionizing radiation is the most clear risk factor for thyroid cancer. The longer the radiation time and the younger the age, the higher the morbidity rate. If you have had thyroid disease or have a family history, the probability of thyroid cancer in your offspring will be higher than others. Excessive thyroid hormone levels or unbalanced iodine intake may also induce thyroid cancer. Moreover, mood can also affect the incidence of thyroid cancer. Studies have found that people who often feel stressed and those who like to sulk are more likely to develop thyroid cancer.

Therefore, if you are under pressure, you must learn to relieve yourself. Go out for a walk, exercise moderately, and the probability of getting sick will naturally be lower.

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Reviewer: Tang Qin, Director and Researcher of the Science Popularization Department of the Chinese Medical Association