New statistics on Thyroid Cancer in Israel 2000 - 2009
With the approach of World Cancer Day, Dr. Lital Keinan-Boker, Deputy Director of the National Center for Disease Control of the Ministry of Health and a member of the ICA Early Detection Committee for Cancer Prevention, focused our attention on the incidence of thyroid cancer, which has been on the rise over the past decade (2000-2009) in all population groups in Israel, and particularly among Arab women.
The most prevalent histological type (papillary tumor) is considered to be a slow tumor which has a relatively benign clinical course.
The mortality rate for this disease is low, with death occurring mainly among older age groups. The general morality rates for this disease in Israel are currently on the decline in recent years; however among the Arab population there has been an increase, despite very low general rates.
The survival rates for this disease are high and the five-year survival rates are more than 90%.
Trends that have been observed in Israel regarding the rise in incidence of thyroid cancer are in keeping with global trends, with the reasons attributed mainly to increased exposure to risk factors - mainly to diagnostic testing that involves the use of ionizing radiation (such as dental x-rays), environmental exposure, such as the Chernobyl disaster, an increase in cancer survivors who were exposed to radiation therapy in the past, and iodine intake in human nutrition.
Random detection of tumors during medical analyses was also proposed as a possible explanation for the increase in disease incidence.