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Thyroid cancer - papillary carcinoma

Definition:

Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid is the most common cancer of the thyroid gland.

Alternative Names:

Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

About 75-85% of all thyroid cancers diagnosed in the United States are papillary carcinoma. It is more common in women than in men. It may occur in childhood, but is typically seen in people between age 20 and 40.

The cause of this cancer is unknown. A genetic defect may be involved.

High-dose external radiation to the neck increases the risk of developing thyroid cancer. Papillary thyroid cancer in children has also been linked to atomic bomb testing in the Marshall Islands and the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Ukraine.

Radiation given by an I.V. during medical tests and treatments does not increase the risk of developing thyroid cancer.

References:

Larsen PR, Kronberg HM, Schlomo M, et al. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology . 10th ed. St. Louis, MO: WB Saunders; 2003:469-473.

Hemminki K. Familial risks for nonmedullary thyroid cancer. J Clin Endocrinol Metab . 2005; 90(10): 5747-53.

Kumar V, Abbas AK, Fausto N. Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease . 7th ed. St. Louis, MO: WB Saunders; 2005:1177-1180.

Endocrine glands

Thyroid cancer - CT scan

Thyroid enlargement - scintiscan

Thyroid gland

Review Date: 2/7/2006
Reviewed By: William Matsui, MD, Assistant Professor of Oncology, Division of HematologicMalignancies, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at JohnsHopkins, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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