- All Journals
- Al-Qadisiyah University
- Basrah University
- Kirkuk University
- Mosul University
- The Iraqi Borad for Medical Specialization
- University of Anbar
- University of Technology
- Al Mustafa University
- Al-Zahraa University for Women
- Alnoor University
- Kunooz University
- Misan University
- Ninevah University
- Tikrit University
- University of Al-Hamdaniya
- University of Kerbala
A National Overview of Thyroid Cancer Trends in Iraq: A Descriptive Epidemiological Analysis | ||
| Al- Anbar Medical Journal | ||
| Volume 22, Issue 2, April 2026, Pages 56-61 PDF (835.72 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original articles | ||
| DOI: 10.33091/amj.2026.162830.2335 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Ahmed Al Ibraheemi* 1; Nijmeh AL-Atiyyat2; Ali Abdul Hussein Mousa3 | ||
| 1Department of Medicine/Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, Al Ameed University, Karbala, Iraq. | ||
| 2Department of Adult Health Nursing, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan. | ||
| 3Department of Community and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Diwaniyah, Iraq. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: Thyroid cancer has emerged as one of the fastest-rising malignancies globally. Its incidence, aggressiveness, and prognosis vary between gender. Objectives: To assess thyroid cancer incidence trends in Iraq from 2009 to 2023 and examine patterns related to gender, age, cancer ranking, and histopathology. Materials and Methods: A retrospective descriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted using data from the Iraqi Cancer Registry (2009-2023), focusing on annual incidence, gender distribution, age-specific rates, and histological subtypes. Crude incidence rates (CIRs) were calculated as the number of new thyroid cancer cases per 100,000 population per year for each gender and year. Results: Over the 15 years, thyroid cancer in Iraq increased significantly, approximately tenfold (288 in 2009 and 2823 in 2023), with female incidence rising 11-fold (1.3 per 100,000 in 2009-9 per 100,000 in 2023) and male incidence 6.7-fold (0.5 per 100,000 in 2009-3 per 100,000 in 2023). The female-to-male ratio increased from 2.5:1 in 2009 to 4:1 in 2023. Thyroid cancer ranked rose from 17th to 4th. The age category of 30 and 34 was the highest, while the highest rates of new cases were among individuals 70 years and older. The papillary subtype forms 82% of the cases. Conclusion: Thyroid cancer is increasing in Iraq, especially among women. This is consistent with the global pattern and may be because of overdiagnosis or environmental factors. The results show that we need to improve screening, better diagnostics, and cancer registry systems so that we can find cancer earlier to provide patients with better care. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Thyroid cancer; Incidence; Iraq; Epidemiology; Gender disparity | ||
| References | ||
|
[1] R. Rahbari, L. Zhang, and E. Kebebew, "Thyroid cancer gender disparity," Future oncology, vol. 6, no. 11, pp. 1771-1779, 2010.
[2] A. Miranda-Filho et al., "Thyroid cancer incidence trends by histology in 25 countries: a population-based study," The lancet Diabetes & endocrinology, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 225-234, 2021.
[3] G. Pellegriti, F. Frasca, C. Regalbuto, S. Squatrito, and R. Vigneri, "Worldwide increasing incidence of thyroid cancer: update on epidemiology and risk factors," Journal of cancer epidemiology, vol. 2013, no. 1, p. 965212, 2013.
[4] Y. Liu, L. Su, and H. Xiao, "Review of factors related to the thyroid cancer epidemic," International journal of endocrinology, vol. 2017, no. 1, p. 5308635, 2017.
[5] Z. Maleki, J. Hassanzadeh, and H. Ghaem, "Relationship of modifiable risk factors with the incidence of thyroid cancer: a worldwide study," BMC Research Notes, vol. 18, no. 1, p. 22, 2025.
[6] F. Bray, J. Ferlay, I. Soerjomataram, R. L. Siegel, L. A. Torre, and A. Jemal, "Global cancer statistics 2018: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries," CA: a cancer journal for clinicians, vol. 68, no. 6, pp. 394-424, 2018.
[7] F. Bray et al., "Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries," CA: a cancer journal for clinicians, vol. 74, no. 3, pp. 229-263, 2024.
[8] S. A. Nejadghaderi et al., "Burden of thyroid cancer in North Africa and Middle East 1990–2019," Frontiers in oncology, vol. 12, p. 955358, 2022.
[9] A. Al-Madouj, S. Alothman, A. Eldali, and A. Al-Zahrani, "15-year cancer incidence among nationals of the GCC states 1998-2012," Riyadh: Gulf Center for Cancer Control and Prevention, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, 2018.
[10] S. A. Alessy et al., "The current and future cancer burden in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries," Cancer medicine, vol. 13, no. 17, p. e70141, 2024.
[11] H. H. Salih, S. Y. Abd, E. Al-Kaseer, and J. Al-Diwan, "Cancer in Iraq, General View of Annual Report 2022," Journal of Contemporary Medical Sciences, vol. 10, no. 6, 2024.
[12] N. A. Alwan, F. Lami, M. Al Nsoor, and D. Kerr, "Trends in the Incidence and Mortality of the Most Common Cancers in Iraq (Iraqi Cancer Registry 1999-2019)," The Gulf Journal of Oncology, vol. 1, no. 40, pp. 47-57, 2022.
[13] J. Ferlay, H. R. Shin, F. Bray, D. Forman, C. Mathers, and D. M. Parkin, "Estimates of worldwide burden of cancer in 2008: GLOBOCAN 2008," International journal of cancer, vol. 127, no. 12, pp. 2893-2917, 2010.
[14] A. Al-Madouj, A. Eldali, A. S. Al-Zahrani, J. Alsayyad, S. Bazarbashi, and H. Al-Eid, "Ten-year cancer incidence among nationals of the GCC states 1998–2007," Gulf Center for Cancer Control and Prevention, 2011.
[15] G. F. Sharkas, M. R. Tarawneh, K. H. Arqoub, O. F. Nimri, and M. J. AL ZUGHUL, "Epidemiology of thyroid cancer in Jordan from 1996 to 2008," Middle East Journal of Cancer, 2(3&4), pp. 117-123, 2011.
[16] O. Daas, O. M. Younis, A. Abuhamdan, and K. Al-rabi, "Overview of endocrine malignancies in Jordan: Insights from the MENA region," Journal of Clinical Oncology, 43(16 supp), pp. e22583, 2025.
[17] A. Al-Sayaideh, O. Nimri, K. Arqoub, M. Al-Zaghal, and W. Halasa, "Cancer incidence in Jordan-2012," Jordan Cancer Registry, 16th report. The Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan Ministry of Health, 2012.https://moh.gov.jo/ebv4.0/root_storage/en/eb_list_page/annual_incidence_of_cancer_in_jordan_2012.pdf
[18] M. Li, L. Dal Maso, M. Pizzato, and S. Vaccarella, "Evolving epidemiological patterns of thyroid cancer and estimates of overdiagnosis in 2013–17 in 63 countries worldwide: a population-based study," The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, vol. 12, no. 11, pp. 824-836, 2024.
[19] J. B. Shank, C. Are, and C. D. Wenos, "Thyroid cancer: global burden and trends," Indian Journal of Surgical Oncology, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 40-45, 2022.
[20] A. F. Flemban et al., "Patterns of thyroid cancer mortality and incidence in Saudi Arabia: a 30-year study," Diagnostics, vol. 12, no. 11, p. 2716, 2022.
[21] N. Al-Zaher, S. Al-Salam, and H. El Teraifi, "Thyroid carcinoma in the United Arab Emirates: perspectives and experience of a tertiary care hospital," Hematology/oncology and stem cell therapy, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 14-21, 2008.
[22] J. Liu, T. Xu, L. Ma, and W. Chang, "Signal pathway of estrogen and estrogen receptor in the development of thyroid cancer," Frontiers in oncology, vol. 11, p. 593479, 2021.
[23] S. Vaccarella et al., "Global patterns and trends in incidence and mortality of thyroid cancer in children and adolescents: a population-based study," The lancet Diabetes & endocrinology, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 144-152, 2021.
[24] J. Chen, C. Wang, and B. Shao, "Global, regional, and national thyroid cancer age-period-cohort modeling and Bayesian predictive modeling studies: A systematic analysis of the global burden of disease study 2019," Heliyon, vol. 9, no. 11, 2023.
[25] A. A. Alsalem, M. A. Alessa, Y. J. Alshaalan, N. M. Alkahtani, and M. Y. Alamoudi, "Trends in the Prevalence and Incidence of Thyroid Cancer in Saudi Arabia Over the Last Decade: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 9882 Patients," Preprint in Research Square, 2023. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2705172/v1
[26] E. Alseddeeqi, A. Altinoz, A. Oulhaj, A. Suliman, and L. A. Ahmed, "Incidence of thyroid cancer in Abu Dhabi, UAE: A registry-based study," Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 321-326, 2023.
[27] O. Nimri, K. Arqoub, and A. Jemal, "Jordan Cancer Registry," Ministry of Health (MOH): Amman, Jordan, 2015.
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Jordan+Cancer+Registry&author=Nimri,+O.&author=Arqoub,+K.&author=Jemal,+A.&publication_year=2015
[28] A. A. Bashir et al., "Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma in Thyroid Surgical Practice: Incidental vs. Non-Incidental: A Ten-Year Comparative Study," Cancers, vol. 17, no. 12, p. 2029, 2025.
| ||
|
Statistics Article View: 604 PDF Download: 556 |
||