The Incidence Trend and Management of Thyroid Cancer—What Has Changed in the Past Years: Own Experience and Literature Review

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The incidence of thyroid cancer (TC) has increased greatly since the 1970s, mostly because of higher detection of the small forms of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Despite this main and popular opinion, an increase in the occurrence of the larger forms of TC has also been observed. Due to some noticed trends concerning TC incidence and behavior, the management of these neoplasms has also changed in recent years. “Cancer screening activity”, which is the most popular of the aforementioned events, might have increased the PTC number during the analyzed period. However, the observed increase in the occurrence of TC continued to a point in time where there was a slowdown and even a reversal. This phenomenon is still debated and worthy of further investigation. ABSTRACT: Because of ambiguous and widely debated observations concerning the incidence, trend, and management of TC, we performed this analysis. We drew attention to some events, such as “cancer screening activity”, introduction of noninvasive follicular neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP) to TC types, possibility of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) active surveillance (AS), occurrence of personalized medicine in TC management, and, finally, COVID-19 pandemic time. Because of the opinion that all changes have been made mostly by PTC, we compared it to the remaining types of TC in terms of incidence, clinical and pathological characteristics, and treatment. We analyzed patients treated in a single surgical center in eastern Europe (Poland). The prevalence of TC significantly increased from 5.15% in 2008 to 13.84% in 2015, and then significantly decreased to 1.33% in 2022 when the COVID-19 pandemic lasted (p < 0.0001). A similar trend was observed for PTC, when the incidence significantly increased to 13.99% in 2015 and then decreased to 1.38% in 2022 (p < 0.0001). At that time, the NIFTP category was introduced, and observation of PTMC began. The prevalence of FTC and MTC also increased until 2015 and then decreased. Significant differences in age, types of surgery, necessity of reoperation, and pTNM between PTCs and other types of TCs were observed. The average age was significantly lower in PTC patients than in patients with the remaining types of TC (p < 0.0001). Four milestones, including NIFTP introduction, the possibility of PTMC AS, personalized cancer medicine, and the COVID-19 pandemic, may have influenced the general statistics of TC.