U.S. Filipinos Have Higher Thyroid Cancer Mortality

FRIDAY, Oct. 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Filipinos die of thyroid cancer at higher rates than non-Filipino Asian (NFA) and non-Hispanic white (NHW) individuals of similar ages, according to a study published online Sept. 7 in Cancer.

Michelle-Linh T. Nguyen, M.D., from Stanford University in California, and colleagues used U.S. death records (2003-2012) and U.S. Census data to study thyroid cancer mortality in Filipino, NFA, and NHW individuals.

The researchers found that out of 19,940,952 deaths, the age-adjusted mortality rates due to thyroid cancer were highest in Filipinos (1.72 deaths per 100,000 population; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.51 to 1.95) versus NFAs (1.03 per 100,000 population; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.95 to 1.12) and NHWs (1.17 per 100,000 population; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.16 to 1.18). Compared with NHWs, Filipino women had three to five times higher proportionate mortality across all age groups, and among Filipino men, the proportional mortality ratio (PMR) was two to three times higher in those aged >55 years. Furthermore, Filipinos who had a higher educational level had a notably higher PMR (5) versus their counterparts with a lower educational level (3.5).

"Filipino ethnicity should be factored into clinical decision making in the management of patients with thyroid cancer," conclude the authors.

“We are finding that ethnicity and genetic make-up are playing stronger roles in the diagnosis of certain diseases as they effect specific populations. This research is important in that it sheds more needed light on the goal of preventative medicine. A medical professional should be more on the look-out for thyroid cancer and recommend additional screening when prudent in patients of Filipino ancestor,” pointed out Dr. Ronald Klatz, President of the A4M, Oct. 16, 2017.