Descriptive epidemiology of thyroid cancer in the Swiss Canton of Vaud

Although substantial decreases have been recorded, age-standardized mortality rates from thyroid cancer in Switzerland are still the highest in Europe in men (0.9/100000), together with those from Austria, and the third highest (1.0/100 000) in women. Detailed analysis of 308 new cases registered between 1974 and 1987 in the Swiss Canton of Vaud revealed an overall incidence rate of 1.36/100000 men (world standard) in 1974-1980 and of 1.74/100 000 in 1981-1987. Corresponding values for women were 4.28 and 4.51, respectively. Thus, women constituted the majority of all cases (76%). Papillary carcinoma was the most frequent histological type (53%) followed by follicular (27%), undifferentiated (5%) and medullary (2%); other morphologies and clinical tumours accounted for 13% of the whole series. In both sexes, most of the apparent increase over the calendar period was restricted to the papillary type. Overall 5- and 10-year survival rates were 71% and 57%. When various factors were introduced in a Cox proportional-hazard model, young age at diagnosis (hazard rate for ≧65 years vs