Varying impact of patient age on the rising rate of pediatric thyroid cancer: Analysis of NCDB database (2004–2017)

Pediatric thyroid carcinoma is on the rise. We sought to better characterize patient factors associated with this and evaluate for trends based on age groups. Additionally, we examined surgical management over time, and whether it aligns with recommendations made by the American Thyroid Association. Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB), we examined cases of thyroid cancer from 2004 to 2017, ages 1–18 years. We subdivided this cohort by age group: those <10y, 10-15y, and >15y. NCDB query yielded 5,814 cases. The annual proportion of total cases ranged from 3% to 8% for <10y, 31%–40% for 10-15y, and 52%–66% for >15y. 80–90% of cases in all age groups did indeed receive total thyroidectomy which is consistent with ATA guidelines. Our results verify an overall increase in pediatric thyroid cancer cases, occurring mostly in the 10–18 years old age range with the largest year-to-year increases in the >15y group.