Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Thyroid Disease

There are differences in diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for thyroid between racial and ethnic groups that contribute to disparities. Identifying these differences and their causes are the key to understanding and reducing disparities in presentation and outcomes in endocrine disorders.

The present study reviews original studies identifying and exploring differences between benign and malignant thyroid diseases. A PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus search was conducted for English-language studies using the terms "thyroid," "thyroid disease," "thyroid cancer," "race," "ethnicity," and "disparities" from inception to December 31, 2022.

Many racial and ethnic disparities in the diagnosis, presentation, treatment, and outcomes of thyroid disease were found. Non-White patients are more likely to have a later time to referral, to present with more advanced disease, to have more aggressive forms of thyroid cancer, and are less likely to receive the appropriate treatment than White patients. Overall and disease-specific survival rates are lower in Black and Hispanic populations when compared to White patients.

Extensive disparities exist in thyroid disease diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes that may have been overlooked. Further work is needed to identify the causes of these disparities to begin to work toward equity in the care of thyroid disease.