UCLA Study: Some Calif. Counties Have Advanced-Stage Thyroid Cancer Rates That Outpace National Averages

A new UCLA study found that advanced-stage thyroid cancer rates are higher than the national average in some parts of California. Researchers found that 35% of Californians who have the disease were not diagnosed until it had spread to lymph nodes and other areas of the body, compared with the national rate of 29%. Avital Harari, lead study author, said researchers found no geographic pattern to which California counties had the highest percentage of advanced thyroid cancer patients. Harari said, "There's definitely something going on here, but we're not sure what explains it. To find the etiology of why it's happening, we need more research."

• "Study Finds Higher Rates of Advanced Thyroid Cancer in California" (Whitcomb, Reuters, 12/10).