Risks of Thyroid Cancer among Japanese People

The probability that a Japanese person will develop thyroid cancer during their lifetime is 0.78% for females and 0.23% for males, which is the probability that they will develop thyroid cancer at least once during the lifetime, obtained based on the thyroid cancer incidence rate among the total cancer incidence data in Japan from 1975 to 1999. This is an index devised with the aim of explaining cancer risks to ordinary people in an easy-to-understand manner.

Exposure to 1,000 mSv in the thyroid increases the probability of developing thyroid cancer by 0.58% to 1.39% for females and by 0.18% to 0.34% for males.

However, if the thyroid exposure dose is low, it is considered to be difficult to scientifically prove risk increases due to the radiation exposure, as effects of other factors are larger.

• Included in this reference material on March 31, 2013
• Updated on March 31, 2019