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.
Links
T P
TP
Departments of Endocrinology, University Hospital Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. T.P.Links@int.azg.nl
van Tol
K M
KM
Meerman
G J
GJ
de Vries
E G
EG
D002277:Carcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*