Differentiated thyroid carcinoma: a polygenic disease.
Differentiated thyroid cancer is a rare disease and until recently was considered to be sporadic. However, increasing evidence has been found for a genetic basis of this disease. In approximately 5% of patients the differentiated thyroid cancer is dominantly inherited. Several families with different syndromes, of which differentiated thyroid cancer is a feature, have already been described. However, until now, single genes explain only a minority of cases. We hypothesize that differentiated thyroid cancer is a polygenic disease. Data from epidemiologic studies, about occult and multifocal carcinomas and the different response to specific risk factors contribute to this hypothesis.
Departments of Endocrinology, University Hospital Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. T.P.Links@int.azg.nl
T P
TP
Links
K M
KM
van Tol
G J
GJ
Meerman
E G
EG
de Vries
D002277:Carcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*