Recent Advances in the Management of Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma

Abstract

Thyroid Carcinoma is the most common malignant disease of the endocrine system. Differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) is the most common form of thyroid cancer, accounting for about 80% of all cases, and includes both papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC). Undifferentiated (Anaplastic) carcinoma accounts for 10% of cases. While other types (medullary & malignant lymphoma) account for the remaining percentage. Exposure to radiation is the most important risk factor for thyroid cancer mostly of the papillary type. Family history and genetic alterations namely RET, Ras & P53 genes are reported in DTC. Most thyroid cancers present as asymptomatic thyroid nodules. History is usually not helpful in detecting underlying thyroid malignancy but there are well-established predictors of malignancy in thyroid nodules that include hard and fixed lesions, rapid growth of nodules, large size, associated hoarseness, dysphagia , or lymphadenopathy and a prior history of irradiation to the head or neck region.