Major improvement in thyroid cancer survival of elderly patients in the Nordic countries

Abstract

Objectives: We describe age-specific survival in thyroid cancer (TC) from Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden over a 50-year period.

Design: Population-based survival study.

Methods: Relative 5-year survival data were obtained from the NORDCAN database for the years 1972-2021.

Results: In the first period 1972-1976, 5-year survival in TC in Finland, Norway, and Sweden was 90% or higher, but a strong negative step-wise age gradient was observed, which was worse for men than women. Over time, survival increased, and in the final period, 2017-2021, survival for all women and Danish men up to age 69 years was about 90% or higher and, for men from the other countries, only marginally lower. Even for older women survival reached 80%, for older men somewhat less.

Conclusions: Age disadvantage in TC survival was for the most part corrected over the 50-year period, and the remaining task is to boost survival for the oldest patients.

Keywords: anaplastic cancer; metastasis; prognosis; relative survival; trends.