Abstract
Purpose Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is more common in women than in men but the etiology is not well understood. We therefore investigated the association between childhood and adolescent factors and subsequent DTC incidence in women. Methods We used data from 47,913 women enrolled (2003–2009) in the U.S. nationwide Sister Study cohort who were cancer-free at baseline. We used Cox regression models to assess associations of DTC incidence with self-reported baseline characteristics, including perceived body size, hormonal, lifestyle, and socioeconomic factors through age 20, adjusting for attained age (timescale), and race/ethnicity. Results Over follow-up (median: 13.1 years), 239 DTC cases were identified. Factors associated with higher DTC incidence included being taller than peers at age 10 (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06–1.89), being lighter (HR = 1.37, 95%CI = 0.97–1.91) or heavier (HR = 1.28, 95%CI = 0.96–1.71) than peers during teen years, and ever not having enough to eat during childhood (HR = 1.67, 95%CI = 1.15–2.43). DTC incidence was lower among those with childhood higher household educational level (HR Bachelor’s degree or higher vs high school, GED or less = 0.75, 95%CI = 0.55–1.03). We did not find notable associations for other factors. Conclusion Our findings suggest that childhood growth, nutrition, and socioeconomic factors may influence DTC incidence in women.