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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Synchronous Triplanar Reconstruction Integrated with Color Doppler Mapping for Precise and Rapid Localization of Thyroid Lesions
Published on: February 9, 2024
Increasing detection and increasing incidence in thyroid cancer
Stephen F Hall1, Hugh Walker, Robert Siemens
1Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology, Queen's Cancer Research Institute, 10 Stuart Street, Level 2, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada. sfh@queensu.ca
Increasing diagnostic imaging tests correlate with higher thyroid cancer rates, particularly in women. This suggests detection, not necessarily incidence, drives the observed rise in thyroid disease.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Oncology
- Radiology
Background:
- The incidence of thyroid cancer has been rising.
- This rise may be attributed to increased diagnostic detection methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between diagnostic imaging utilization and thyroid cancer incidence.
- To analyze trends in neck imaging and thyroid cancer diagnoses in Ontario, Canada.
Main Methods:
- Utilized administrative data from Ontario, Canada, spanning 1993-2006.
- Compared rates of neck diagnostic imaging (CT, MRI, US) with thyroid cancer incidence.
- Analyzed data stratified by gender.
Main Results:
- Rates of diagnostic imaging tests for the neck varied between women and men.
- These variations in testing rates corresponded with observed rates of new thyroid cancer diagnoses.
- A clear association was found between increased diagnostic imaging and thyroid cancer incidence in women.
Conclusions:
- The increasing incidence of thyroid disease, especially in women, is linked to a greater number of diagnostic imaging procedures.
- Diagnostic advancements may play a significant role in the apparent increase in thyroid cancer rates.
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