Current levels of excess weight in Australia will contribute to one in five thyroid cancers — or about 10,000 cases — in the next decade, researchers warn. 

And despite a higher prevalence among women at present, they predict the future thyroid cancer burden attributable to overweight and obesity will be substantially higher in men. 

The UNSW-led authors say their findings add to the urgent need to reverse global obesity trends, with the prevalence in Australia having doubled in the past two decades. 

At the same time, the age-standardised incidence of thyroid cancer increased by almost 400% between 1982 and 2019 — from 2.7 to 13 cases per 100,000 persons.