Thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer
Micrograph of a papillary thyroid carcinoma demonstrating diagnostic features (nuclear clearing and overlapping nuclei).
SpecialtyOncology
SymptomsSwelling or lump in the neck[1]
Risk factorsRadiation exposure, enlarged thyroid, family history,[1][2] obesity[3]
Diagnostic methodUltrasound, fine needle aspiration[1]
Differential diagnosisThyroid nodule, metastatic disease[1][4]
TreatmentSurgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, thyroid hormone, targeted therapy, watchful waiting[1]
PrognosisFive year survival rates 98% (US)[5]
Frequency3.2 million (2015)[6]
Deaths31,900 (2015)[7]

Thyroid cancer is cancer that develops from the tissues of the thyroid gland.[1] It is a disease in which cells grow abnormally and have the potential to spread to other parts of the body.[8][9] Symptoms can include swelling or a lump in the neck, difficulty swallowing or voice changes including hoarseness, or a feeling of something being in the throat due to mass effect from the tumor. However, most cases are asymptomatic.[1][10] Cancer can also occur in the thyroid after spread from other locations, in which case it is not classified as thyroid cancer.[4]

Risk factors include radiation exposure at a young age, having an enlarged thyroid, family history and obesity.[1][2][3] The four main types are papillary thyroid cancer, follicular thyroid cancer, medullary thyroid cancer, and anaplastic thyroid cancer.[4] Diagnosis is often based on ultrasound and fine needle aspiration.[1] Screening people without symptoms and at normal risk for the disease is not recommended.[10][11]

Treatment options may include surgery, radiation therapy including radioactive iodine, chemotherapy, thyroid hormone, targeted therapy, and watchful waiting.[1] Surgery may involve removing part or all of the thyroid.[4] Five-year survival rates are 98% in the United States.[5]

Globally as of 2015, 3.2 million people have thyroid cancer.[6] In 2012, 298,000 new cases occurred.[12] It most commonly is diagnosed between the ages of 35 and 65.[5] Women are affected more often than men.[5] Those of Asian descent are more commonly affected;[4] with a higher rate of mortality among Filipino females.[13] Rates have increased in the last few decades, which is believed to be due to better detection.[12] In 2015, it resulted in 31,900 deaths.[7]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Thyroid Cancer Treatment". National Cancer Institute. 27 April 2017. Archived from the original on 15 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b Carling T, Udelsman R (2014). "Thyroid cancer". Annual Review of Medicine. 65: 125–137. doi:10.1146/annurev-med-061512-105739. PMID 24274180.
  3. ^ a b Shin A, et al. (2022). "Body Mass Index and Thyroid Cancer Risk: A Pooled Analysis of Half a Million Men and Women in the Asia Cohort Consortium". Thyroid. 32 (3): 306–314. doi:10.1089/thy.2021.0445. PMC 8971972. PMID 34915752.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Thyroid Cancer Treatment". National Cancer Institute. 12 May 2017. Archived from the original on 16 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d "Cancer of the Thyroid - Cancer Stat Facts". seer.cancer.gov. Archived from the original on 15 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  6. ^ a b Vos, Theo; et al. (October 2016). "Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015". Lancet. 388 (10053): 1545–1602. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31678-6. PMC 5055577. PMID 27733282.
  7. ^ a b Wang, Haidong; et al. (October 2016). "Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015". Lancet. 388 (10053): 1459–1544. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(16)31012-1. PMC 5388903. PMID 27733281.
  8. ^ "Cancer Fact sheet N°297". World Health Organization. February 2014. Archived from the original on 29 December 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  9. ^ "Defining Cancer". National Cancer Institute. 17 September 2007. Archived from the original on 25 June 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  10. ^ a b Boucai, Laura; Zafereo, Mark; Cabanillas, Maria E. (6 February 2024). "Thyroid Cancer: A Review". JAMA. 331 (5): 425. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.26348.
  11. ^ Bibbins-Domingo K, Grossman DC, Curry SJ, Barry MJ, Davidson KW, Doubeni CA, et al. (May 2017). "Screening for Thyroid Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement". JAMA. 317 (18): 1882–1887. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.4011. PMID 28492905. S2CID 205091526.
  12. ^ a b World Cancer Report 2014. World Health Organization. 2014. pp. Chapter 5.15. ISBN 978-9283204299.
  13. ^ Paz-Pacheco, Elizabeth; Juan, Mari Des San (2 March 2023). "Incidence, Recurrence and Mortality Among Filipinos With Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: A Systematic Review". Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies. 38 (1): 100–107. doi:10.15605/jafes.038.01.14. PMC 10213166. PMID 37252408.
    Nguyen, Michelle Linh T.; Hu, Jiaqi; Hastings, Kattherine G.; Daza, Eric J; Cullen, Mark R.; Orloff, Lisa A.; Palaniappan, Latha P. (7 September 2017). "Thyroid cancer mortality higher in Filipinos in United States: an analysis using national mortality records from 2003–2012". Cancer. 123 (24): 4860–4867. doi:10.1002/cncr.30958. PMC 5716919. PMID 28881423.
    Lee, Alice W.; Mendoza, Roy A.; Aman, Shehla; Jsu, Robert; Liu, Lihua (February 2022). "Thyroid cancer incidence disparities among ethnic Asian American populations, 1990–2014". Annals of Epidemiology. 66: 28–36. doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2021.11.002. PMID 34774744. S2CID 244033542.