BRICS Nations Show Varying Thyroid Cancer Risks Linked to Obesity

The study looked at how extra weight may fuel thyroid cancer across five major economies. It found that in 2021 Russia carried the heaviest load, with about 2.09 cases per 100,000 people in lost healthy years. South Africa and Brazil followed, while China and India had the smallest numbers. Women overall lost more healthy years, but the rise was sharper among men in some countries.

In China the male numbers climbed fast, up 2.31 percent each year, while women saw a slight drop of 0.35 percent. Age mattered everywhere—older people faced higher rates. The trend was not uniform; Russia saw its burden fall over time, and Brazil stayed steady.

Over the years, China and India kept seeing more cases, a pattern that lasted across decades. Younger generations born around 1997 in those two nations now face a risk more than 1.7 times higher than earlier groups. In Russia and Brazil the risk stayed flat or went down.

The findings point to a need for focused health actions. Investing in obesity prevention, checking high‑risk groups, and watching for new spikes are better than scanning entire populations. Tailored programs could help curb the growing threat in the most affected nations.