A one-third reduction in the number of thyroid ultrasounds performed in the U.S. would change thyroid cancer mortality rates by less than 0.1%, according to a study published Feb. 2 in JAMA Network Open.
The study’s findings “support the need for clearer guidelines on when to use thyroid ultrasound and risk-based approaches to care aimed at reducing unnecessary treatment while maintaining patient safety,” researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison said in a Sept. 8 news release.
Between 1991 and 2019, 72% to 94% of papillary thyroid cancers detected during that period were likely overdiagnosed, and between 443,000 and 574,000 women and 108,000 to 155,000 men were overdiagnosed over the study period.
Researchers said the overdiagnoses were tied to ultrasounds detecting small, slow-growing cancers that were unlikely to cause harm.
Read the full study here.
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