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Statistics at a Glance

At a Glance

Estimated New Cases in 2026 45,240

% of All New Cancer Cases 2.1%

Estimated Deaths in 2026 2,320

% of All Cancer Deaths 0.4%

5-Year
Relative Survival

98.3% 2016–2022
Year Rate of New Cases — SEER 8 Rate of New Cases — SEER 12 Death Rate — U.S. 5-Year Relative Survival — SEER 8
Observed Modeled Trend Observed Modeled Trend Observed Modeled Trend Observed Modeled Trend
1975 5.00 5.13 - - 0.54 0.56 92.95% 92.64%
1976 4.73 5.01 - - 0.56 0.55 93.22% 92.79%
1977 5.28 4.89 - - 0.57 0.54 90.97% 92.94%
1978 5.01 4.77 - - 0.54 0.53 92.27% 93.08%
1979 4.64 4.65 - - 0.53 0.52 91.28% 93.23%
1980 4.27 4.54 - - 0.48 0.51 93.84% 93.37%
1981 4.44 4.43 - - 0.50 0.50 94.50% 93.50%
1982 4.58 4.54 - - 0.48 0.49 92.95% 93.64%
1983 4.54 4.65 - - 0.44 0.48 93.43% 93.77%
1984 4.82 4.77 - - 0.47 0.47 93.77% 93.90%
1985 5.15 4.89 - - 0.45 0.46 93.42% 94.02%
1986 5.26 5.01 - - 0.46 0.45 93.85% 94.15%
1987 5.01 5.13 - - 0.45 0.44 95.11% 94.27%
1988 4.89 5.26 - - 0.44 0.43 95.18% 94.39%
1989 5.35 5.39 - - 0.44 0.43 94.18% 94.51%
1990 5.47 5.52 - - 0.44 0.44 95.47% 94.62%
1991 5.52 5.66 - - 0.43 0.44 94.92% 94.73%
1992 6.02 5.80 5.90 5.72 0.46 0.44 92.42% 94.84%
1993 5.68 5.95 5.74 5.88 0.46 0.45 94.57% 94.95%
1994 6.23 6.09 6.03 6.05 0.43 0.45 95.58% 95.29%
1995 6.28 6.24 6.17 6.21 0.44 0.45 95.78% 95.61%
1996 6.56 6.40 6.29 6.39 0.45 0.46 96.04% 95.90%
1997 6.65 6.56 6.58 6.56 0.46 0.46 95.42% 96.18%
1998 6.89 6.99 6.64 6.75 0.44 0.46 96.46% 96.44%
1999 7.33 7.46 7.28 7.19 0.45 0.46 97.07% 96.68%
2000 7.69 7.95 7.56 7.66 0.48 0.47 96.58% 96.91%
2001 8.36 8.48 8.18 8.16 0.48 0.47 96.70% 97.12%
2002 9.43 9.04 8.98 8.69 0.48 0.47 97.49% 97.32%
2003 9.77 9.64 9.28 9.26 0.45 0.48 97.36% 97.50%
2004 10.31 10.28 9.75 9.86 0.48 0.48 97.54% 97.67%
2005 11.10 10.97 10.70 10.51 0.49 0.48 97.56% 97.83%
2006 11.49 11.70 11.11 11.19 0.50 0.49 98.61% 97.98%
2007 12.48 12.47 11.90 11.92 0.50 0.49 98.12% 98.12%
2008 13.18 13.30 12.48 12.70 0.52 0.50 98.14% 98.24%
2009 14.49 14.18 13.82 13.53 0.52 0.50 98.87% 98.37%
2010 13.90 14.37 13.37 13.75 0.51 0.50 98.34% 98.48%
2011 14.75 14.55 14.19 13.98 0.51 0.51 98.73% 98.45%
2012 14.78 14.74 14.17 14.20 0.49 0.51 98.50% 98.43%
2013 14.87 14.93 14.45 14.43 0.52 0.51 98.35% 98.40%
2014 14.94 15.13 14.48 14.67 0.50 0.52 98.80% 98.37%
2015 14.92 14.68 14.54 14.29 0.52 0.52 98.65% 98.35%
2016 14.41 14.24 13.96 13.92 0.54 0.52 98.36% 98.32%
2017 13.77 13.82 13.38 13.56 0.50 0.52 97.82% 98.29%
2018 13.74 13.93 13.58 13.65 0.52 0.52 98.43% 98.26%
2019 14.30 14.05 14.20 13.74 0.51 0.51 - 98.23%
2020 12.03 14.17 11.68 13.83 0.49 0.51 - 98.20%
2021 13.93 14.29 13.51 13.92 0.51 0.51 - 98.17%
2022 14.21 14.41 13.68 14.01 0.52 0.50 - 98.14%
2023 14.86 14.53 14.49 14.10 0.49 0.50 - 98.11%
2024 - - - - 0.50 0.50 - -

New cases come from SEER 12. Deaths come from U.S. Mortality.
All Races, Both Sexes. Rates are Age-Adjusted.
Modeled trend lines were calculated from the underlying rates using the Joinpoint Trend Analysis Software.
The 2020 incidence rate is displayed but not used in the fit of the trend line(s). Impact of COVID on SEER Cancer Incidence 2020 data

New cases are also referred to as incident cases in other publications. Rates of new cases are also referred to as incidence rates.

Rate of New Cases and Deaths per 100,000: The rate of new cases of thyroid cancer was 13.7 per 100,000 men and women per year. The death rate was 0.5 per 100,000 men and women per year. These rates are age-adjusted and based on 2019–2023 cases and 2020–2024 deaths.

Lifetime Risk of Developing Cancer: Approximately 1.1 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 2021–2023 data.

Prevalence of This Cancer: In 2023, there were an estimated 1,035,274 people living with thyroid cancer in the United States.

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Survival Statistics

How Many People Survive 5 Years Or More after Being Diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer?

Relative survival is an estimate of the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of their cancer. It excludes the risk of dying from other causes. Because survival statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. No two patients are entirely alike, and treatment and responses to treatment can vary greatly.

98.3%

5-Year
Relative Survival

98.3%

Based on data from SEER 21 (Excluding IL) 2016–2022. Gray figures represent those who have died from thyroid cancer. Green figures represent those who have survived 5 years or more.

Additional Information

Survival by Stage

Cancer stage at diagnosis, which refers to extent of a cancer in the body, determines treatment options and has a strong influence on the length of survival. In general, if the cancer is found only in the part of the body where it started it is localized (sometimes referred to as stage 1). If it has spread to a different part of the body, the stage is regional or distant. The earlier thyroid cancer is caught, the better chance a person has of surviving five years after being diagnosed. For thyroid cancer, 63.5% are diagnosed at the local stage. The 5-year relative survival for localized thyroid cancer is 99.9%.

Percent of Cases & 5-Year Relative Survival by Stage at Diagnosis: Thyroid Cancer
Stage Percent of Cases 5-Year Relative Survival
Localized
Confined to Primary Site		 63% 99.9%
Regional
Spread to Regional Lymph Nodes		 31% 98.1%
Distant
Cancer Has Metastasized		 3% 48.3%
Unknown
Unstaged		 3% 91.9%

SEER 21 (Excluding IL) 2016–2022, All Races, Both Sexes by SEER Combined Summary Stage

Additional Information

New Cases and Deaths

How Common Is This Cancer?

Compared to other cancers, thyroid cancer is relatively rare.

Common Types of Cancer Estimated New
Cases 2026		 Estimated
Deaths 2026
1. Prostate Cancer 333,830 36,320
2. Breast Cancer (Female) 321,910 42,140
3. Lung and Bronchus Cancer 229,410 124,990
4. Colorectal Cancer 158,850 55,230
5. Melanoma of the Skin 112,000 8,510
6. Bladder Cancer 84,530 17,870
7. Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer 80,450 15,160
8. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 79,320 19,970
9. Uterine Cancer 68,270 14,450
10. Leukemia 67,790 23,910
- - -
12. Thyroid Cancer 45,240 2,320

Thyroid cancer represents 2.1% of all new cancer cases in the U.S.

2.1%

In 2026, it is estimated that there will be 45,240 new cases of thyroid cancer and an estimated 2,320 people will die of this disease.

Who Gets This Cancer?

Thyroid cancer is more common in women than men and among those with a family history of thyroid disease. The rate of new cases of thyroid cancer was 13.7 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2019–2023 cases, age-adjusted.

Rate of New Cases per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Thyroid Cancer
Males
All Races 7.4
Hispanic 6.1
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native 5.6
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander 7.7
Non-Hispanic Black 3.6
Non-Hispanic White 8.6
Females
All Races 20.0
Hispanic 21.2
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native 17.0
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander 22.3
Non-Hispanic Black 12.1
Non-Hispanic White 20.8

SEER 21 2019–2023, Age-Adjusted

Percent of New Cases by Age Group: Thyroid Cancer
Age Range Percent of New Cases
<20 2.0%
20–34 16.4%
35–44 18.4%
45–54 19.7%
55–64 19.8%
65–74 16.0%
75–84 6.3%
>84 1.4%

Thyroid cancer is most frequently diagnosed among people aged 55–64.

Median Age
At Diagnosis

51

SEER 21 2019–2023, All Races, Both Sexes

Who Dies From This Cancer?

For thyroid cancer, death rates increase with age. The death rate was 0.5 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2020–2024 deaths, age-adjusted.

Death Rate per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Thyroid Cancer
Males
All Races 0.5
Hispanic 0.5
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native 0.5
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander 0.5
Non-Hispanic Black 0.4
Non-Hispanic White 0.5
Females
All Races 0.5
Hispanic 0.7
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native 0.6
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander 0.7
Non-Hispanic Black 0.5
Non-Hispanic White 0.4

U.S. 2020–2024, Age-Adjusted

Percent of Deaths by Age Group: Thyroid Cancer
Age Range Percent of Deaths
<20 0.0%
20–34 0.6%
35–44 1.5%
45–54 5.3%
55–64 15.3%
65–74 28.5%
75–84 29.2%
>84 19.5%

The percent of thyroid cancer deaths is highest among people aged 75–84.

Median Age
At Death

74

U.S. 2020–2024, All Races, Both Sexes

Trends in Rates

Changes Over Time

Keeping track of new cases, deaths, and survival over time (trends) can help scientists understand whether progress is being made and where additional research is needed to address challenges, such as improving screening or finding better treatments.

Using statistical models for analysis, age-adjusted rates for new thyroid cancer cases have been stable over 2014–2023. Age-adjusted death rates have been stable over 2015–2024. 5-year relative survival trends are shown below.

New Cases, Deaths and 5-Year Relative Survival

Interactive Statistics with SEER*Explorer

With SEER*Explorer, you can...
  • Create custom graphs and tables
  • Download data and images
  • Share links to results

SEER*Explorer is an interactive website that provides easy access to a wide range of SEER cancer statistics. It provides detailed statistics for a cancer site by sex, race, calendar year, age, and for a selected number of cancer sites, by stage and histology.

Explore Additional Thyroid Cancer Statistics

More About This Cancer

Cancer and the Thyroid

Figure: Thyroid And Parathyroid Gland Anatomy

Figure: Anatomy of the thyroid and parathyroid glands; illustration shows the thyroid gland at the base of the throat near the trachea. An inset shows the front and back views. The front view shows that the thyroid is shaped like a butterfly, with the right lobe and left lobe connected by a thin piece of tissue called the isthmus. The back view shows the four pea-sized parathyroid glands.

This cancer forms in the thyroid gland, an organ at the base of the throat that makes hormones that help control heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and weight.

Four main types of thyroid cancer are papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic thyroid cancer. The four types are based on how the cancer cells look under a microscope.

Additional Information

More Information

Here are some resources for learning more about thyroid cancer.

References

All statistics in this report are based on statistics from SEER and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. Most can be found within SEER*Explorer.

Suggested Citation

All material in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.

SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Thyroid Cancer. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/thyro.html

These stat facts focus on population statistics that are based on the U.S. population. Because these statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. To see tailored statistics, browse SEER*Explorer. To see statistics for a specific state, go to the State Cancer Profiles.

The statistics presented in these stat facts are based on the most recent data available, most of which can be found in SEER*Explorer. In some cases, different year spans may be used.

Estimates of new cases and deaths for 2026 are projections made by the American Cancer Society (ACS), based on earlier reported data.

Cancer is a complex topic. There is a wide range of information available. These stat facts do not address causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up care, or decision making, although links are provided to information in many of these areas.