ABSTRACT
Objective: To analyze the morbidity and mortality trends of thyroid cancer in China from 1990 to 2019, explore the causes of the trends, and predict morbidity and mortality in the future. Methods: The morbidity and mortality data of thyroid cancer in China from 1990 to 2019 were collected from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease database. The Joinpoint regression model was used to describe the change trends. Based on the morbidity and mortality data from 2012 to 2019, a grey model GM (1,1) was constructed to predict the trends in the next ten years. The model was tested by the posterior error method and residual test method. Results: In all populations, men and women, the AAPC values of the crude morbidity rates were 4.15% (95%CI: 3.86%-4.44%, P<0.001), 5.98% (95%CI: 5.65%-6.31%, P<0.001) and 3.23% (95%CI: 2.94%-3.53%, P<0.001) respectively, the AAPC values of age-standardized morbidity rates were 2.47% (95%CI: 2.12%-2.83%, P<0.001), 3.98% (95%CI: 3.68%-4.29%, P<0.001), 1.65% (95%CI: 1.38%-1.93%, P<0.001), the AAPC values of crude mortality rates were 2.09% (95%CI: 1.92%-2.25%, P<0.001), 3.68% (95%CI: 3.45%-3.90%, P<0.001), 0.60% (95%CI: 0.50%-0.71%, P<0.001). The age-standardized mortality rates in men showed a fluctuating trend of first decrease (1990-1994), then increase (1994-2012), and then decrease (2012-2019) (AAPC=1.35%, 95%CI: 1.16%-1.53%, P<0.001). The age-standardized mortality rate in women continuously decreased (AAPC=-1.70%, 95%CI: -1.82%- -1.58%, P<0.001). The GM (1,1) models can be used for medium and long-term predictions. The results of the residual test show that the average relative error values of all models are less than 10.00%, the prediction accuracy values are more than 80.00%, and the prediction effects are good. The results of the posterior error method show that all the prediction results are good except the qualified prediction of the age-standardized morbidity rate in men. In 2029, the crude morbidity rates would increase to 3.57/100 000, 2.78/100 000, and 4.40/100 000, respectively, and the age-standardized incidence rates would increase to 2.38/100 000, 1.89/100 000, and 2.88/100 000, respectively, the crude mortality rates would increase to 0.57/100 000, 0.62/100 000 and 0.53/100 000, and the age-standardized mortality rates would decrease to 0.33/100 000, 0.42/100 000 and 0.27/100 000 in all population, men and women in China. Conclusions: The overall, gender- specific age-standardized mortality rates showed downward trends in the last decade or so, and the prediction results showed that it might further decline. However, the crude morbidity rates, age-standardized and crude mortality rates have been on the rise, and the population aging is becoming increasingly serious in China, which requires close attention and targeted prevention and control measures.