PAPILLARY THYROID CARCINOMA

Course overview

PAPILLARY THYROID CARCINOMA (PTC) IS AN EPITHELIAL MALIGNANCY SHOWING EVIDENCE OF FOLLICULAR CELL DIFFERENTIATION AND A SET OF DISTINCTIVE NUCLEAR FEATURES. IT IS THE MOST FREQUENT THYROID NEOPLASM AND CARRIES THE BEST OVERALL PROGNOSIS. THE TUMOR USUALLY APPEARS AS AN IRREGULAR SOLID MASS, BUT IT MAY HAVE CYSTIC FEATURES IN RARE CASES. ONE KEY FEATURE OF PTC IS ITS ABILITY TO INVADE ADJACENT STRUCTURES LIKE LYMPHATICS. ABOUT 10% OF PATIENTS MAY PRESENT WITH METASTATIC DISEASE AT INITIAL PRESENTATION. THE OVERALL PROGNOSIS IS GOOD FOR MOST PATIENTS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES YOUNGER THAN 45 YEARS OF AGE. THIS ACTIVITY ILLUSTRATES THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN DIAGNOSING AND MANAGING PATIENTS WITH PAPILLARY CANCER OF THE THYROID.