Thyroid Carcinoma in Children
Thyroid carcinoma is a rare cancer in children that forms in
the thyroid gland, the butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the neck that produces
hormones that play a critical role in a child’s growth and metabolism. Some
cases of thyroid cancer are due to high exposure to radiation or rare familial
conditions, but most thyroid cancers occur in children with no known risk
factors.
The two most common types of thyroid carcinoma in children
are:
- Differentiated thyroid
carcinoma, which includes papillary thyroid carcinoma and follicular
thyroid carcinoma, both of which develop in the cells that produce thyroid
hormone. The papillary form is the most common.
- Medullary thyroid
carcinoma, which is very rare, develops in cells that do not produce
thyroid hormone and typically affects adults. However, there is a familial
form in which children may develop the tumor very early in life.
At diagnosis, about 70 percent of children have disease that
has spread to the lymph nodes. Of these, about 10 percent have disease that has
spread to more distant sites, such as the lungs.
Thyroid Carcinoma
Treatment at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s
Children with thyroid carcinoma are treated by an integrated
multi-disciplinary team that includes the Boston Children’s Hospital Thyroid
Program and the Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Rare
Tumors Program.
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