Geographical differences in the incidence of thyroid cancer in Belgium : Role of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in the management of thyroid diseases

130-134 The increased thyroid cancer incidence observed worldwide is, at least to some extent, attributed to increased detection, with considerable regional variations. We investigated whether regional variations in cancer incidence in Belgium were associated with variations in thyroid disease management, using a retrospective population-based cohort study. A regional variation in the use of thyroid imaging and surgery was revealed, supporting differing detection rates as a key determinant of the geographic variations in thyroid cancer incidence.