Thyroid cancer - papillary carcinoma

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Endocrine glands	Thyroid cancer - CT scan	Thyroid cancer - CT scan	Thyroid enlargement - scintiscan
Thyroid gland

Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid is the most common cancer of the thyroid gland.

See also: Thyroid cancer

Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid

About 75-85% of all thyroid cancers diagnosed in the United States are papillary carcinoma. It is more common in women than in men. It may occur in childhood, but is typically seen in people between age 20 and 40. 

The cause of this cancer is unknown. A genetic defect may be involved.

High-dose external radiation to the neck increases the risk of developing thyroid cancer. Papillary thyroid cancer in children has also been linked to atomic bomb testing in the Marshall Islands and the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Ukraine.

Radiation given by an I.V. during medical tests and treatments does not increase the risk of developing thyroid cancer.

Review Date: 02/07/2006
Reviewed By: William Matsui, MD, Assistant Professor of Oncology, Division of HematologicMalignancies, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at JohnsHopkins, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.