Should Total Thyroidectomy Be Recommended for Patients with Familial Non-medullary Thyroid Cancer?

Background: It is unknown whether familial non-medullary thyroid cancer (FNMTC) has more aggressive clinical features and a worse prognosis than sporadic non-medullary thyroid cancer (SNMTC).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 2894 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer who underwent primary thyroidectomy, identified 391 FNMTC cases, and compared the prevalence, surgical extension, and clinicopathologic features of FNMTC and SNMTC.

Results: A family history of thyroid cancer was noted in 391 patients (13.

Spindle epithelial tumor with thymus-like differentiation of the thyroid in a 70-year-old man.

Spindle epithelial tumor with thymus-like differentiation (SETTLE) is a very rare tumor of the thyroid gland mostly occurring in young patients. The imaging findings of SETTLE tumors are yet to be defined. However, they are usually described as well-defined heterogeneously enhanced masses on CT scan.

Low-Dose Radioactive Iodine Ablation Is Sufficient in Patients With Small Papillary Thyroid Cancer Having Minor Extrathyroidal Extension and Central Lymph Node Metastasis (T3 N1a).

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of low-dose radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation in patients with small papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) exhibiting microscopic extrathyroidal extension (mETE) and central lymph node (CLN) metastasis.

Methods: Among patients who underwent RAI ablation between March 2007 and February 2014, those who had small PTCs (≤2 cm), as well as mETE and CLN metastasis (T3 N1a M0), were enrolled. Response to ablation and long-term outcomes were assessed and compared according to the administered RAI dose.

Inhibition of MAPKinase pathway sensitizes thyroid cancer cells to ABT-737 induced apoptosis.

Bcl2 family proteins play an important role in the resistance of thyroid cancer cells to apoptosis induced by chemotherapeutic drugs and targeted therapies. BH3-profiling of seven fresh primary papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) tumors showed dependence for survival on Bcl-xL (2/7), Bcl2 (2/7), and Mcl-1 (2/7), while the majority of thyroid cell lines were mainly dependent on Bcl-xL. Targeting Bcl2 family proteins with the BH3 mimetic, ABT-737, while simultaneously inhibiting ERK pathway proteins with PLX4720 and PD325901 was shown to induce significantly high apoptosis in the majority of cell lines (8505c, SW1736, HTh7, BCPAP) and moderate apoptosis in the TPC-1 cell line.

Combining BRAF inhibitor and anti PD-L1 antibody dramatically improves tumor regression and anti tumor immunity in an immunocompetent murine model of anaplastic thyroid cancer.

The interaction of programmed cell death-1 and its ligand is widely studied in cancer. Monoclonal antibodies blocking these molecules have had great success but little is known about them in thyroid cancer. We investigated the role of PD-L1 in thyroid cancer with respect to BRAF mutation and MAP kinase pathway activity and the effect of anti PD-L1 antibody therapy on tumor regression and intra-tumoral immune response alone or in combination with BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi).

Osteopontin levels in patients with papillary thyroid cancer according to the presence of Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Background: Human papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is often associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT); their coexistence improves PTC prognosis. Osteopontin, a secreted glycoprotein, plays a role in cell survival, immunity, and tumor progression, its expression being associated with a poor prognosis and metastasis in several malignancies. Osteopontin overexpression correlates with aggressive clinicopathological features in PTC.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma with thyroiditis: lymph node metastasis, complications.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathologic characteristics of papillary thyroid cancer with thyroiditis, and to determine the rate of its complications for it.

Methods: A retrospective review of 1,247 patients with papillary thyroid cancer who underwent primary thyroidectomy was performed. Among them, 316 patients had thyroiditis (group I) while 931 patients had no thyroiditis (group II), as reflected in the final pathologic reports.

Impact of preserving the parathyroid glands on hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy with neck dissection.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to determine the incidence and evaluate the risk factors for hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy and to investigate how many parathyroid glands should be preserved to prevent postoperative hypocalcemia.

Methods: From March 2007 to February 2011, a retrospective review of 866 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and node dissection for thyroid cancer was performed. The incidence and predisposing factors for hypocalcemia were analyzed.

Parathyroid carcinoma with lung metastasis in a thirteen-year-old girl.

Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare disease in pediatric patients. We present a case of a 13-year-old girl who presented to the Thyroid Department for an asymptomatic palpable neck mass for 1 year. The high levels of calcium, ionized calcium, and parathyroid hormone level along with parathyroid scintigraphy studies suggested primary hyperparathyroidism.

Patterns and predictive factors of lateral lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma.

Objective: To determine the incidence and patterns of and to evaluate the predictive factors for lateral cervical lymph node metastasis (LNM) in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC).

Study Design: Case series with chart review.

Setting: Academic university hospital.

Expression of AITR and AITR ligand in breast cancer patients.

Human activation-inducible TNF receptor (AITR) is a new member of the tumor necrosis factor family and expressed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and leukocytes. Its ligand (AITRL) is expressed in endothelial cells. This study aimed to evaluate the presence and role of AITR and AITRL in patients with breast cancer.