The most commonly occurring papillary thyroid cancer in the United States is now a microcarcinoma in a patient older than 45 years.

Thyroid 21(3):231-6 (2011) PMID 21268762

The incidence of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is growing at a faster rate than any other malignancy. However, it is unknown what effect age is having on the changing PTC incidence rates. With the goal of understanding the role of age in thyroid cancer incidence, this study analyzes the changing demographics of patients with PTC over the past three decades.