Trends in the disease burden of thyroid cancer among adolescents and young adults: A comparative study of China and global estimates (1990–2021)

Over the past three decades, the burden of thyroid cancer among adolescents and young adults in China has increased at a substantially accelerated rate compared to global trends, with a pronounced widening of the sex gap in disease burden. While Chinese female patients have continued to show improvements in prognosis and relative burden measures, male patients have experienced a marked rise in both incidence and disability-adjusted life years, accompanied by a consistent decline in prognostic outcomes. These findings underscore the need for sex-specific strategies: for males, prioritizing the identification and mitigation of modifiable risk factors to curb the rising burden and improve prognosis; for females, consolidating effective diagnostic and therapeutic practices while minimizing overdiagnosis. Gender-sensitive approaches, aligned with precision prevention, may help address the growing burden.