Recently, a study published by The Lancet diabetes and Endocrinology has attracted wide attention: the incidence rate of thyroid cancer in the vast majority of 185 countries has continued to rise, with an average annual increase of more than 10% in 6 countries. In the past 20 years, the incidence of thyroid cancer in the 15-39 age group has been increasing year by year. This phenomenon has caused many young people to panic. Why is thyroid cancer increasingly favoring young people? Is there any secret behind the increase of incidence rate? How to treat thyroid cancer? With these questions in mind, a reporter from Science and Technology Daily interviewed relevant experts. The thyroid gland, located in the anterior part of the neck and resembling a butterfly, is an important endocrine organ in the human body that increases the incidence of the disease due to various factors. Its main function is to synthesize and secrete thyroid hormones, regulate physiological activities such as body temperature, heart rate, and gastrointestinal function, and can be called the "engine of the human body". Thyroid cancer is a tumor formed by abnormal proliferation of thyroid cells, commonly found in the neck. In recent years, the incidence of thyroid cancer has increased, which is the result of multiple factors working together. Song Yuntao, Deputy Chief Physician of Head and Neck Surgery at Peking University Cancer Hospital, said that in terms of tumor size statistics, the thyroid microcarcinoma with a diameter less than 1 centimeter has seen the largest increase in recent years. These extremely small tumors are difficult to detect by patients' own touch or doctors' routine examinations, and can only be identified through ultrasound examination. In the past, people lacked the awareness and economic ability to undergo regular physical examinations, and many minor cancers were not detected or included in the incidence statistics. Nowadays, thyroid ultrasound examination has become a standard part of most physical examination packages due to its simple operation, low cost, and high detection rate. This has exposed a large number of hidden early tumors, "said Song Yuntao. Song Yuntao said that in addition to the increase in the detection rate of microcarcinoma, the number of larger thyroid cancer cases discovered clinically is also increasing. "This change may be closely related to the change of living environment." Song Yuntao told reporters, "Research has found that the incidence rate of thyroid cancer in the nuclear accident areas such as Chernobyl, Fukushima and other places has significantly increased." "In addition, factors such as diet structure, iodine intake, air pollution, and the use of electronic products have also received widespread attention. Although there is currently a lack of strong evidence to support the association between these factors and thyroid cancer, it is still worth being vigilant. ”Song Yuntao emphasized. When it comes to the reasons for the increasing incidence of thyroid cancer in young people, Ding Jinwang, Deputy Chief Physician of the Thyroid Surgery Department at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, said that young people face greater work and life pressure, such as staying up late, irregular diet, and high emotional fluctuations, which can affect the endocrine system and increase the risk of thyroid disease. In addition, the issue of obesity among young people is also worth paying attention to. Research has found that obesity increases the risk of developing thyroid cancer. The treatment technology is constantly improving. Overall, thyroid cancer has a better prognosis, but there are significant differences among different subtypes. In clinical practice, there are two types of thyroid cancer that can be life-threatening: poorly differentiated or undifferentiated cancer, and iodine resistant differentiated thyroid cancer. Some of these highly malignant cases are born with special genetic mutations, while others are evolved from recurrent or sudden progression of low-grade malignant tumors, "explained Song Yuntao. However, there are relatively few high-risk cases of thyroid cancer overall, accounting for only about 5% of the total number of thyroid cancer patients. The most common type of papillary thyroid carcinoma is relatively mild, with slow growth, weak invasiveness, and low lethality. The 5-year and 10-year survival rates for patients are around 90%, and the treatment effect is good. Previously, the treatment of thyroid cancer was mainly a one size fits all approach, but now personalized and precise treatment is advocated. For early and low-risk thyroid cancer patients, active observation is recommended clinically. Research has found that only a small proportion of early-stage, low-risk thyroid cancer patients experience tumor progression. Therefore, immediate surgery is usually not necessary, regular follow-up is sufficient. This concept is particularly suitable for elderly patients, those with more comorbidities, and those with higher surgical risks. For thyroid cancer patients who require surgery and pursue aesthetics, the external cervical approach has been favored in recent years. The incision of traditional thyroid cancer surgery is in the anterior part of the neck, and its scar affects the appearance of the neck. The incision of the external cervical approach surgery is located in concealed areas such as the armpit and oral cavity, leaving no scars on the neck. Different methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. Doctors will choose the most suitable surgical method for patients based on the location of the tumor, the extent of resection, and their own proficiency in operation. In addition, minimally invasive ablation has become an important supplementary method for the treatment of thyroid cancer. Ablation techniques include thermal ablation, chemical ablation, and cryoablation, among which thermal ablation is the most widely used. The core principle is to heat the tumor tissue locally through a puncture needle, causing tumor cells to denature and necrotize. However, ablation therapy is only suitable for low-grade malignant tumors of appropriate size and location, or for single small lymph nodes that recur after neck dissection. For most thyroid cancer patients, ablation is not the preferred treatment option, "Song Yuntao emphasized. Due to the poor efficacy of traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy, patients with advanced thyroid cancer who cannot undergo surgery, are difficult to treat with iodine, or have undifferentiated thyroid cancer once faced the dilemma of being "helpless". In recent years, targeted therapy has emerged, bringing hope for survival to these patients. The principle of targeted therapy is to find mutated genes related to thyroid cancer through genetic testing, and then select targeted drugs for treatment. This precise strike can significantly prolong the survival of patients with advanced thyroid cancer, and even make it possible for highly malignant undifferentiated patients with advanced thyroid cancer to be cured, "said Song Yuntao. The trend of "youthfulness" in thyroid cancer is worth paying attention to, but there is no need to panic excessively. Song Yuntao emphasized, "With the advancement of screening methods and the development of treatment techniques, the cure rate for early thyroid cancer is extremely high