THYROID CANCER AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGE IN GEORGIA

Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most common endocrine cancer. The increase in thyroid cancer incidence has been observed in both developed and developing countries in different Geographical and climate areas The share of thyroid cancer drastically increased during the last decades in Georgia and ranked as the second most prevalent cause of cancer among women. Although for addressing the burden of cancer, important steps were taken by the State during the last decades, the burden of this disease is still significant. The presented paper aims to provide an overview of the current burden of thyroid cancer in Georgia, delving into its risk factors. To explore the opinion of key stakeholders about the factors causing the increased trend of thyroid cancer in Georgia in-depth interviews were used. The study was conducted from March to August 2023 in the capital of Georgia - Tbilisi. Women and men who had thyroid cancer and survived, women and men who are suffering from thyroid cancer along with healthcare providers, policymakers, and national professional bodies were the respondents in this study. The guides for the in-depth interviews were prepared based on the literature review. Stakeholders agreed that the number of thyroid cancer cases has increased during the last decades. The concern that the prevalence and incidence of thyroid cancer is the highest in the world in Georgia and it is the second leading cause of cancer among women was also expressed by respondents. According to study findings, new diagnostic methods revealed more cases of thyroid cancer. Other respondents stated that the development of the cancer registry, and the improvement of the reporting system existing cases of this disease. The issue of over-diagnosis was also mentioned by the stakeholders, Almost all study participant patients are challenged by the post-operational period. Some of them had not gotten information on how to deal with this period. Several patients mentioned financial problems due to fee-for-service or co-payments. According to the study participants, the recent sharp increase in the incidence and prevalence of thyroid cancer cases might be associated with overdiagnosis and the lack of monitoring and unified diagnostic and treatment methods.