Temporal trends in hospitalization due to pediatric thyroid cancer in Chile: a population-based analysis from 2001 to 2024.
This national registry analysis reports that pediatric thyroid cancer hospitalization rates in Chile increased from 0.48 to 2.46 per 100,000 between 2001 and 2024, primarily among adolescents, alongside increased surgical management and stable median length of stay.
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This national registry analysis reports that pediatric thyroid cancer hospitalization rates in Chile increased from 0.48 to 2.46 per 100,000 between 2001 and 2024, primarily among adolescents, alongside increased surgical management and stable median length of stay.
Research significance
The evidence supports an age-specific rise in thyroid cancer-related hospitalizations and surgical management, but no therapy was evaluated; as an inference, these trends could guide adolescent-focused diagnostic, referral, and health-service strategies, which would require studies linking hospitalization data to incidence, treatment quality, and outcomes.
Source abstract
INTRODUCTION: The incidence of pediatric thyroid cancer has increased globally; however, long-term population-based data from Latin America remain scarce, and hospitalization-based trends are poorly characterized. The objective of this study was to examine national trends in thyroid cancer hospitalization rates among children and adolescents in Chile between 2001 and 2024 and to assess variations by age, sex, health insurance type, and treatment patterns. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective population-based study using Chile's mandatory national hospital discharge registry, which includes all public and private hospital admissions. Pediatric thyroid cancer hospitalizations (ICD-10 code C73) were identified in individuals aged 1-19 years. Age- and sex-specific hospitalization rates per 100,000 inhabitants were calculated using national population estimates. Temporal trends were evaluated using Prais-Winsten regression to estimate absolute annual rate changes, Poisson regression to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs), and calculation of the average annual percentage change (AAPC). RESULTS: Between 2001 and 2024, 2,078 pediatric thyroid cancer hospitalizations were recorded (2.8% of all thyroid cancer admissions). Hospitalization rates increased from 0.48 to 2.46 per 100,000 inhabitants. Rates remained low and stable among children aged 1-9 years but increased significantly among adolescents. Prais-Winsten regression demonstrated an average annual absolute increase of 0.08 hospitalizations per 100,000 (p < .001), and Poisson regression showed a 4.7% annual relative increase (IRR = 1.047, p < .001). The highest AAPCs were observed among adolescent males (6.8%) and females (4.8%). Surgical management increased over time, whereas median length of stay remained stable. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric thyroid cancer hospitalization rates in Chile have risen substantially over two decades, driven primarily by adolescents. These findings likely reflect both evolving clinical management and broader epidemiologic factors.