Mapping overdiagnosis of thyroid cancer in China

Globally, the incidence of thyroid cancer has increased substantially in the past three decades,1 particularly among young adults and even in adolescents,2 whereas mortality due to thyroid cancer has remained relatively stable at low levels, or decreased, almost everywhere.3 The intense scrutiny of the thyroid gland and widespread use of ultrasonography and other modern diagnostic techniques have allowed the discovery of a large reservoir of previously undetectable, small, and predominantly papillary thyroid tumours.