Delayed detection due to hiding behind the Adam's apple... 23% increase in male thyroid cancer patients

The number of male thyroid cancer patients in the country is on the rise. Male patients have a harder time with early detection compared to females and have a poorer prognosis, so greater attention to prevention is necessary.

According to the data on thyroid cancer in South Korea from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service from 2018 to 2022, the number of thyroid cancer patients increased by 11% over five years. The number of female patients increased by 8%, from 290,257 to 314,144, while the number of male patients increased by 23.4%, from 63,937 to 78,944.

Since 80% of thyroid cancer patients are women, men may not be aware of the risk of thyroid cancer. As the number of patients is increasing recently, caution is needed. Dr. Lee Dong-jin, director of Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital (ENT professor), said, "Male thyroid cancer is often more difficult to treat and has a poorer prognosis compared to females, so caution is necessary."

In the early stages of thyroid cancer, symptoms are limited to a change in voice and slight throat pain, making it difficult to recognize the cancer. Often, suspicion arises only when the tumor grows large enough to be felt as a lump in the neck and causes breathing difficulties. Men have larger Adam's apples, so if the tumor is less than 5 cm, it is less noticeable, making early detection more difficult compared to women.

The hospital director explained, "Men find it difficult to detect thyroid cancer early due to their physical structure, so by the time they visit the hospital, the disease is already quite advanced in many cases," and added, "As a result, even with treatment, the prognosis tends to be relatively poor."

Do not think of thyroid cancer as a women's cancer; men should also undergo regular check-ups. Consider regular screenings if there are voice changes or throat pain, a family history, or a history of radiation therapy to the face and neck during childhood.

To prevent health issues, it is necessary to improve eating habits and regulate physical activity. The hospital director said, "To prevent problems with metabolic regulation in the body and avoid adverse effects on thyroid hormones, a healthy lifestyle that prevents obesity, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia is essential," and added, "In fact, large-scale studies have shown that men with metabolic syndrome have a 15-58% higher risk of thyroid cancer compared to men without it."