Recently, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine received a 15-year-old thyroid cancer patient who had lateral lymph node metastasis when he was diagnosed. When asked about their children's daily routine, the parents' reply was impressive: "Since junior high school, I have almost never slept before 1 a.m., and staying up late for a long time has become the norm."
On October 21, 2026, the "Analysis of Age Characteristics of Incidence and Death of Malignant Tumors in the Chinese Population in 2024" released by the National Cancer Center showed that thyroid cancer ranks third in the incidence of malignant tumors in my country. Why are there more and more young patients with thyroid cancer? How to protect our thyroid?
Thyroid cancer patients are increasing among young people
In recent years, the incidence of thyroid cancer in my country has continued to increase. According to data released by the National Cancer Center in 2024, the annual new cases of thyroid cancer have reached 466,100, making it the third most common malignant tumor in my country.
The "2025 Edition of Beijing Physical Examination Population Sampling Health Report" shows that last year alone, the number of thyroid cancer patients followed up ranked first, with a detection rate as high as 48.08%.
Kuang Jie, director and deputy chief physician of the Thyroid and Vascular Surgery Ward of Ruijin Hospital, said that among current outpatient and surgical patients, thyroid cancer patients under the age of 50 account for about 65%, and young faces in their twenties, thirties or even teenagers are common.
Why does thyroid cancer target young people? Kuang Jie pointed out that in addition to the "detection effect" brought about by the improvement of the resolution of ultrasound equipment, the popularization of physical examinations, and the increase in the number of medical consultations, the invisible damage caused to the immune system by the changes in the lifestyle of the younger generation cannot be ignored. "The human body's immune system is like a policeman, responsible for real-time patrols and corrections. When the body is in a state of overdraft for a long time and the immune defense line is destroyed, tumor cells can easily take advantage of it."
According to doctors, there are three main things that are most commonly disrupted in modern people's daily lives: sleep, diet and emotions.
The hormones and metabolic waste produced by various organs of the human body during the day mainly rely on sleep at night for regulation and removal. Staying up late for a long time is tantamount to depriving the body of its self-repair mechanism in advance;
Bad eating habits continue to increase the burden on the body. In outpatient clinics, it is common for young patients who are overweight and rely on takeaways and sugary drinks all year round. In addition, some people have long-term excessive iodine intake and prefer high-salt diets, which have become potential risks for inducing thyroid disease.
At the same time, the mental pressure brought about by studies and work causes long-term emotional tension, which not only directly interferes with the nervous and endocrine systems, but also induces insomnia and further weakens the body's disease resistance.
Benign nodules will not suddenly become malignant
Although thyroid cancer is a type of cancer, many people believe that it progresses slowly and has a good prognosis, calling it "lazy cancer." Some patients even delay treatment even if they are diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
Experts remind that calling thyroid cancer a "lazy cancer" is unscientific. The types of thyroid cancer vary greatly. Some high-risk subtypes progress rapidly, are easy to metastasize, and are highly malignant. If ignored, it will be life-threatening.
It is worth noting that many young people see that the nodules on the physical examination report have changed from "Category 3 benign nodules" to "Category 4 suspected malignant nodules" and have trouble sleeping and eating, mistakenly thinking that the nodules have undergone malignant transformation.
The doctor clarified, "Tumors are born tumors and do not mutate from benign nodules." The change in grade usually results from the difference in identification of micro-nodules by ultrasound imaging, or the characteristics of the nodules become more obvious as they grow slightly larger, rather than a reversal of properties.
As long as it is a benign nodule confirmed by standardized evaluation and does not cause discomfort such as tracheal compression, regular annual follow-up can be performed without burdening the patient with heavy psychological burden.
How to protect our thyroid?
- Learn to self-examine
In daily life, if you want to self-examine your thyroid, you can "look, touch, and swallow". Specific method: Look in the mirror to see if both sides of the neck are symmetrical and swollen; you can also take a sip of water, touch the bottom of the neck with your fingers, and swallow the water to see if there are any small protruding lumps on the neck.
- Eat a balanced diet and avoid overeating
There is a U-shaped relationship between iodine and the incidence of thyroid disease, and neither deficiency nor excess will work. If the doctor does not remind you to use non-iodized salt, you should eat iodized salt normally and consume appropriate seafood; children are not recommended to eat non-iodized salt.
- Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption
Tobacco and alcohol are important risk factors for many diseases, including thyroid cancer.
- Maintain emotional stability
Emotions have a particularly prominent impact on the thyroid gland. You should always keep a happy mood and relieve bad emotions in a timely manner; actively participate in social interactions and communicate more with family and friends.
- Regular work and rest, moderate exercise
Regular exercise helps maintain a healthy weight, enhances the body's metabolic function, and improves immunity. Frequently staying up late or not getting enough sleep can cause the secretion and metabolism of thyroid hormones to be out of balance.
- Regular physical examination
Thyroid disease has a slow onset and long course. The thyroid should be checked regularly, especially in the following high-risk groups: history of external radiation of the neck or iodine 131 treatment, history of thyroid surgery and thyroid dysfunction, family history of autoimmune thyroid disease; patients with other autoimmune diseases; dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes and other metabolic diseases, etc.
doctor reminder
Follow the laws of nature
Keep your mouth shut, sleep well, and reduce internal friction
Be the first person responsible for your own health
It is the most fundamental guarantee to stay away from diseases.
