title: Increased incidence of thyroid cancer in Latina, Italy: a possible role of detection of subclinical disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the thyroid cancer incidence trends and geographical patterns in the Latina Province of Lazio, Italy using the population-based cancer registry.
  
  
  METHODS
  We extracted from the Latina cancer registry all cases of thyroid cancer from 1997 to 2006. Cases were classified according to morphological type and diameter. Data for diagnostic procedures for Latina Province residents from 2001 to 2006 were extracted from the regional outpatient procedures information system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 982 cases were diagnosed, for a standardized incidence of 8.3 and of 27.9 per 100,000 in males (n, 220) and in females (n, 762), respectively. The annual percent change (APC) was +16.7% (95% CI +7.2, +27.2) and +10.5% (95% CI +6.5, +14.6) in males and females, respectively. The increase was mostly due to papillary (n, 759) and small (≤20 mm) cancers (n, 617), with no difference by age (<45 years; n, 431). The APC of neck ultrasound performed was +8.7% (95% CI +0.1, +18.1) and +9.0% (95% CI +1.1, +17.4) and that of biopsy/cytology was +17.0% (95% CI +13.0, +21.3) and +16.6% (95% CI +6.2, +28.1) in men and women, respectively. The geographic pattern of biopsy/cytology was similar to that of cancer incidence but not to that of neck ultrasound.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Latina, the increase in thyroid cancer incidence was more rapid than in the rest of Italy, particularly for types with a good prognosis. While tumor size and histotype suggest an increase in detection instead of an increase in disease occurrence, data on diagnostic procedure reimbursements cannot provide an explanation.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Registry, Epidemiology Unit, Latina Local Health Unit, Latina, Italy.
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Busco
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giorgi Rossi
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sperduti
authors.forename: Patrizio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pezzotti
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buzzoni
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pannozzo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology