Molecular genetics of papillary thyroid carcinoma: great expectations

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most prevalent type of endocrine cancer and, in recent epidemiological surveys, one of the types of human cancer whose incidence is growing. Despite the favourable outcome and long survival rates of most patients, some tumours display an aggressive behaviour...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Arquivos brasileiros de endocrinologia e metabologia 2007-07, Vol.51 (5), p.643-653
Main Authors: Trovisco, Vítor, Soares, Paula, Preto, Ana, Castro, Patrícia, Máximo, Valdemar, Sobrinho-Simões, Manuel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Carcinoma, Papillary - diagnosis
Carcinoma, Papillary - genetics
Carcinoma, Papillary - therapy
DNA Mutational Analysis
ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
Gene Rearrangement - genetics
Genetic Markers - genetics
Genotype
Humans
Molecular Biology
Mutation
Oncogenes
Phenotype
Prognosis
Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf - genetics
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret - genetics
ras Proteins - genetics
Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - genetics
Receptor, trkA - genetics
Thyroid Neoplasms - diagnosis
Thyroid Neoplasms - genetics
Thyroid Neoplasms - therapy
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most prevalent type of endocrine cancer and, in recent epidemiological surveys, one of the types of human cancer whose incidence is growing. Despite the favourable outcome and long survival rates of most patients, some tumours display an aggressive behaviour and may progress to the highly aggressive and lethal, anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. In recent years, several progresses have been made on the molecular characterization of PTC, in general, and in the genetic alterations underlying the histotype diversity of this type of cancer, in particular. This holds true regarding alterations on nuclear DNA as well as mitochondrial DNA. In this review we have summarized the most recent findings in the genetic characterization of PTC, giving a particular emphasis to the genotype-phenotype associations, the prognosis implications, and the diagnostic and therapeutic value of the newly identified genetic markers.
ISSN:0004-2730
1677-9487
0004-2730
DOI:10.1590/S0004-27302007000500002