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A Lump in the Throat: Thyroid Cancer

Ali Ahmad, MD | April 25, 2023 | Contributor Information

Thyroid cancer is the most common malignancy of the endocrine system[1,2] and the twelfth most common cancer in the United States.[3] The incidence of thyroid cancer has been increasing over the last several decades.[1] Thyroid cancer occurs nearly three times more often in women than men.[3,4]

The gross cross-section of a thyroidectomy specimen shown here reveals multiple bilateral nodules.

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Risk Factors

Historical image of the first patient treated with linear accelerator radiation therapy. [Public domain.] Via Wikimedia Commons.
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A Lump in the Throat: Thyroid Cancer

Ali Ahmad, MD | April 25, 2023 | Contributor Information

Risk Factors

Radiation exposure in childhood significantly increases the risk of developing thyroid cancer and other thyroid gland anomalies.[1,4] Thyroid malignancies can manifest as early as 5 years or as late as 20 or more years following radiation therapy.[1] In addition, exposure to nuclear fallout has been associated with a high risk of thyroid cancer.[1,4]

The following are also known risk factors for the development of thyroid cancer[1,4]:

  • Age 25 to 65 years
  • Female sex
  • Low dietary iodine intake
  • Family history of thyroid disease, such as familial medullary thyroid cancer (FMTC)
  • Mendocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN 2)
  • History of goiter
  • Asian race
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Presentation

Image of an enlarged thyroid presenting as a midline neck mass courtesy of Wikimedia Commons | Drahreg01.
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A Lump in the Throat: Thyroid Cancer

Ali Ahmad, MD | April 25, 2023 | Contributor Information

Presentation

Thyroid cancer commonly presents as a solitary, painless, nonfunctioning ("cold") thyroid nodule.[1] Patients or clinicians often discover the nodules incidentally during routine palpation of the neck.[4]

Although the overall incidence of cancer in a cold nodule is 12-15%, it is higher in people younger than 40 years and in individuals whose preoperative ultrasonographic studies show the presence of calcifications.[1]

Features associated with malignancy in thyroid nodules include the following[4,5]:

  • Solitary nodules - Malignancy is more common in patients older than 60 years and those younger than 30 years
  • Nodular growth
  • Hard and fixed nodules
  • Rapid growth
  • Painless mass (usually) - Sudden onset of pain is more commonly associated with benign disease (eg, hemorrhage into a benign cyst, subacute viral thyroiditis)
  • Persistent hoarseness or other voice changes
  • Persistent cough
  • Dysphagia
  • 4 of 15

    Workup

    Images courtesy of Ali Ahmad, MD, (left) and Medscape (right).
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    A Lump in the Throat: Thyroid Cancer

    Ali Ahmad, MD | April 25, 2023 | Contributor Information

    Workup

    The evaluation of the solitary thyroid nodule involves differentiating malignant from benign disease and, therefore, determining whether the patient requires intervention or may be monitored.[5,6]

    The following is recommended for the workup of a suspicious thyroid nodule[5,6]:

    • A detailed medical history, including previous radiation exposure and relevant family medical history, if available
    • A comprehensive physical examination, including a thorough head-and-neck evaluation (particularly of the thyroid gland and cervical soft tissues), as well as indirect laryngoscopy
    • Laboratory studies
    • Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy
    • Imaging studies

    Firm, fixed, new, and/or rapidly growing cervical masses are highly suggestive of malignancy (regional lymph node metastases).[5,6]

    The images depict a left-lobe "cold" nodule on a thyroid uptake scan. FNA biopsy should be considered in light of relevant clinical suspicion of a malignancy.

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    Image courtesy of Welker L, Akkan R, Holz O, Schultz H, Magnussen H. Diagn Pathol. 2007;2:31. [Open access.] PMID: 17716363, PMCID: PMC2063495.
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    A Lump in the Throat: Thyroid Cancer

    Ali Ahmad, MD | April 25, 2023 | Contributor Information

    FNA biopsy

    FNA biopsy is the procedure of choice for evaluating thyroid nodules, and it should be the first intervention.[4,5,6,7] Papillary and medullary thyroid carcinomas are often positively identified on the basis of FNA biopsy results alone.[8]

    The image shows different types of fine needles that may be used in FNA biopsy procedures.

    Repeat biopsies result in a definitive diagnosis in up to 50% of cases, and in up to 90% when ultrasound guidance is added.[9] Patients with high clinical suspicion for malignancy whose findings are indeterminate or nondiagnostic on FNA despite repeat biopsy can undergo surgery for tissue diagnosis.[4,5,7,8] However, nondiagnostic cases can be monitored clinically if suspicion of malignancy is low.[8]

    6 of 15

    Images courtesy of Dr Ravi Kadasne.
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    A Lump in the Throat: Thyroid Cancer

    Ali Ahmad, MD | April 25, 2023 | Contributor Information

    Imaging studies

    Selective imaging studies, such as the following, are used to evaluate patients with suspected thyroid cancer (including recurrent disease)[4,5,8,10,11]:

    • Neck ultrasonography
    • Thyroid radioiodine imaging
    • Neck computed tomography (CT) scanning or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
    • Positron emission tomography (PET) scanning

    The color-flow Doppler ultrasound of the thyroid shown here demonstrates a complex nodule with increased vascularity. Radioiodine scans can be useful for determining the functional status of the thyroid nodule, because most hyperfunctioning nodules are benign.[10]

    The 2015 American Thyroid Association consensus statement on preoperative imaging for thyroid cancer surgery noted the following[10]:

    • Ultrasonography remains the most important imaging modality in the evaluation of thyroid cancer and should be used routinely to preoperatively assess the primary tumor and all associated cervical lymph node basins
    • Ultrasound-guided FNA of suspicious lymph nodes may provide guidance on the extent of surgical intervention
    • Selectively consider cross-sectional imaging (CT scanning with contrast or MRI) for better characterization of tumor invasion and bulky, inferiorly or posteriorly located lymph nodes, or when ultrasonographic expertise is not available
    • PET scanning may be used to assess recurrent disease
    7 of 15

    Image courtesy of Dreamstime.
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    A Lump in the Throat: Thyroid Cancer

    Ali Ahmad, MD | April 25, 2023 | Contributor Information

    Laboratory studies

    Laboratory studies that may be used to assess patients with suspected thyroid cancer include the following[1,4,5,6,8]:

    • Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration
    • Serum calcitonin/pentagastrin-stimulated calcitonin levels - Elevated levels are highly suggestive for medullary thyroid carcinoma; these measurements may also be used in posttreatment monitoring for recurrent disease
    • Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for germline mutations in the RET proto-oncogene - May aid in the diagnosis of FMTC, as well as MEN 2 syndromes
    • Serum thyroglobulin levels (postoperative) - Elevated levels are a strong indicator of tumor recurrence in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer; these findings are most sensitive in the presence of hypothyroidism and elevated TSH levels; for long-term monitoring, measurements of thyroglobulin and antithyroglobulin antibodies should be obtained
    • Molecular diagnostic testing - May be used for detection/identification of specific genetic mutations, such as RET/PTC and BRAF V600E, among others; these mutations may occur in papillary and/or follicular tumors
    • Molecular pattern recognition studies with molecular classifiers - May help to guide treatment decisions when FNA biopsy findings are indeterminate
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    Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

    Images of papillary thyroid cancer (A,B), including visualization of the papillary structures at high magnification (B), courtesy of Beier F, Moleda L, Guralnik V, et al. J Med Case Rep. 2010;4:110. [Open access.] PMID: 20409321, PMCID: PMC2873447.
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    A Lump in the Throat: Thyroid Cancer

    Ali Ahmad, MD | April 25, 2023 | Contributor Information

    Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

    Papillary carcinoma is the most common type of thyroid cancer.[4,12]

    Under light microscopy, papillary thyroid carcinomas have characteristic "Orphan Annie eye" nuclear inclusions (ie, nuclei with uniform staining that appear empty), which are useful in identifying the follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinomas, and psammoma bodies.[13]

    Papillary thyroid cancers are slow-growing tumors that arise from the thyroxine (T4)- and thyroglobulin-producing follicular cells and are often multifocal.[4] The tumor cells are sensitive to TSH and take up iodine.[5] Lymphatic spread is more common than hematogenous spread.[5]

    9 of 15

    Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma

    Image of well-differentiated follicular thyroid carcinoma courtesy of Flickr | Yale Rosen.
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    A Lump in the Throat: Thyroid Cancer

    Ali Ahmad, MD | April 25, 2023 | Contributor Information

    Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma

    Follicular carcinoma is the second most common thyroid malignancy and represents an increased percentage of thyroid cancers in regions where dietary intake of iodine is low.[4] Like papillary carcinomas, follicular carcinomas arise from the follicular cells of the thyroid. The neoplastic cells are also TSH sensitive, taking up iodine and producing thyroglobulin; this feature aids in diagnosis and therapy.[5]

    Histologically, the neoplastic follicular cells can have a solid, trabecular, or microfollicular growth pattern.[5] Thyroid follicular carcinoma can resemble thyroid follicular adenoma; the two lesions are generally differentiated by the carcinoma invading the tumor capsule and/or blood vessels.[4,8]

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    Hürthle Cell Carcinoma

    Images courtesy of Medscape (left) and Wikimedia Commons | Nephron (right).
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    A Lump in the Throat: Thyroid Cancer

    Ali Ahmad, MD | April 25, 2023 | Contributor Information

    Hürthle Cell Carcinoma

    Hürthle cell, or oncocytic, carcinoma is a rare thyroid malignancy that the World Health Organization (WHO) and American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) consider a variant of follicular carcinoma.[8] This malignancy may be aggressive, particularly with large tumors or vascular involvement in older individuals.

    Histologically, Hürthle cells are large, polygonal follicular cells with well-defined borders that contain abundant granular acidophilic cytoplasm.

    11 of 15

    Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma

    High-magnification histologic image of medullary thyroid carcinoma (hematoxylin and eosin [HE] stain) courtesy of Wikimedia Commons | Nephron.
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    A Lump in the Throat: Thyroid Cancer

    Ali Ahmad, MD | April 25, 2023 | Contributor Information

    Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma

    Medullary thyroid malignancies arise from the parafollicular C cells of the thyroid gland;[8,14] these neural-crest derivative cells produce calcitonin.[4,14,15] About 75-80% of medullary thyroid cancers occur sporadically, with the remainder belonging to familial or inherited tumor syndromes. Unlike the sporadic cases, which generally manifest in a single thyroid lobe and in people in their 50s and 60s, the familial cases commonly present earlier and are often multifocal, occurring throughout the thyroid gland.[4,8] Metastasis takes place hematogenously and via the lymphatic system.[8,16]

    The histologic appearance of medullary thyroid carcinomas may be variable, typically having a lobular, trabecular, insular, or sheetlike growth pattern separated by a fibrovascular stroma.[5,16] The tumor cells may appear round, polygonal, or spindle shaped, and amyloid deposits may be present.[5]

    Patients may present with clinical evidence of medullary thyroid disease, or they may present before the tumors develop if their family has a known history of FMTC syndrome.[5] Medullary thyroid cancer is also associated with MEN 2 syndromes. In pediatric patients with MEN syndrome, early childhood screening for medullary thyroid malignancies and prophylactic thyroidectomy are offered.[5,8]

    12 of 15

    Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma

    Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons | Nephron.
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    A Lump in the Throat: Thyroid Cancer

    Ali Ahmad, MD | April 25, 2023 | Contributor Information

    Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma

    Anaplastic, or undifferentiated, carcinoma is rare, but it has the most aggressive biologic behavior of all the thyroid cancers, as well as one of the worst survival rates of all malignancies (mortality approaches 100%).[5,8] Affected individuals typically present later than those with other thyroid malignancies, usually in their 60s and 70s.[5,8]

    Histologically, anaplastic tumor cells have a varied appearance and may have mixed morphologies; the most commonly seen variants are biphasic spindles and giant cells.[5,8]

    13 of 15

    Treatment

    Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons | Haitham Alfalah.
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    A Lump in the Throat: Thyroid Cancer

    Ali Ahmad, MD | April 25, 2023 | Contributor Information

    Treatment

    Treatment of patients with thyroid malignancy requires a multidisciplinary approach involving an endocrinologist, a thyroid surgeon, a radiologist, and, on occasion, medical and radiation oncologists.

    The prognosis and treatment options depend on the following factors[1,8]:

    • The patient's age (most important) and general health - Thyroid cancer carries a significantly worse prognosis in those older than 60 years of age
    • Well-differentiated thyroid cancers generally have a good prognosis; poorly differentiated tumors (eg, medullary, anaplastic) are typically aggressive and highly metastatic and have a significantly worse prognosis[1]
    • Lesions of greater size tend to have a worse prognosis
    • The presence of MEN 2 syndromes is generally a poor prognostic indicator

    Surgery (thyroidectomy) remains the mainstay of treatment. Newer minimally invasive techniques such as robotic thyroidectomy offer promise in minimizing morbidity; however, more research is needed.

    The image depicts a video-assisted thyroidectomy.

    14 of 15

    Image courtesy of Flickr | Yale Rosen.
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    A Lump in the Throat: Thyroid Cancer

    Ali Ahmad, MD | April 25, 2023 | Contributor Information

    Postoperative radiation therapy

    Postoperative radiation therapy may be considered in select patients to destroy any remaining thyroid cancer cells.[1,4,8]

    Radioactive iodine (RAI) accumulates in any thyroid tissue that is left, including residual cells with metastatic disease. Because only thyroid tissue takes up iodine, RAI therapy destroys thyroid tissue and thyroid cancer cells with an acceptable side effect profile. Before a full treatment dose of RAI is administered, a small test dose is given to determine whether the tumor takes up the iodine.

    External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is rarely used for locoregional control of thyroid disease, although it may be employed for symptomatic management of local tumor recurrences.[1,4] EBRT is not considered first-line therapy, but it may be used in the treatment of medullary and anaplastic thyroid carcinomas.[1,4,8]

    The axial CT scan of the lung shown here demonstrates bilateral pulmonary nodules that are consistent with metastatic thyroid carcinoma. [A] = anterior, [L] = left side, and [R] = right side.

    15 of 15

    Image courtesy of the NCI | Bill Branson.
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    A Lump in the Throat: Thyroid Cancer

    Ali Ahmad, MD | April 25, 2023 | Contributor Information

    In general, chemotherapy for thyroid carcinomas is considered only for very advanced disease or for tumors that are not responsive to radioiodine therapy.[8]

    The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the following drugs for treatment of thyroid cancer[17]:

    • Cabozantinib
    • Dabrafenib
    • Doxorubicin
    • Lenvatinib
    • Pralsetinib
    • Selpercatinib
    • Sorafenib
    • Trametinib
    • Vandetanib
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    References