Understanding your risk: Are women likelier to have thyroid cancer than men are?

(Sharon Theimer/ Mayo Clinic) — Globally, women are roughly twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with thyroid cancer. However, recent research shows that men face an equal risk. Mayo Clinic experts say that men and women alike should be aware of thyroid cancer risk.

The thyroid is a small gland located at the front of your neck. It plays a role in regulating the body’s metabolism. Thyroid cancer happens when cells in the thyroid develop changes in their DNA. 

Worldwide, thyroid cancer is the seventh most common cancer, statistics from the Global Cancer Observatory show.

Most forms of thyroid cancer can be cured, and minimally invasive surgery may be an option, sometimes sparing much of the noncancerous thyroid gland tissue, says Dr. Eric Moore, a head and neck surgeon and chair of otolaryngology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and medical director, Mayo Clinic International. (…)