Carcinoma of the thyroid at a young age--a review of 23 patients.
Twenty-three children and adolescents with thyroid carcinoma who were 20 years old or younger at the time of initial treatment were followed for a mean time of 9.5 years. Of the tumours, 21 were papillary and two follicular carcinomas. The majority (91%) of the 23 cases showed extra-thyroidal extension of the tumour. An association with chronic thyroiditis was observed in 30% of the cases. There was no history of irradiation of the head and neck in any patients. Relapse occurred in eight patients, lung metastases in two and local recurrences in six; one patient died from lung metastases 3 months after initial treatment. Male patients, advanced stage of tumour, less differentiated histological features and DNA aneuploidy were associated with a higher frequency of relapse. The prognosis of thyroid carcinomas in children and adolescents is not so good as is generally believed.
Mizukami
Y
Y
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kanazawa University Hospital, Japan.
Michigishi
T
T
Nonomura
A
A
Hashimoto
T
T
Noguchi
M
M
Matsubara
F
F
Watanabe
K
K
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011003:Ploidies; D011379:Prognosis; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm