TORONTO—Two large, population-based studies with over 35 years of data revealed some of the factors that have influenced the incidence of thyroid cancer. Two key findings: Canadian men and people living in rural areas generally present with more advanced disease and the incidence of anaplastic thyroid cancer is waning. The studies were presented at the 2009 World Congress on Thyroid Cancer. More »

About 30,000 new cases of thyroid cancer are diagnosed annually in the United States.[1] The incidence among men has risen more dramatically than any other malignancy in recent years (2.4% annual increase).[2] Thyroid cancers arise from one of two cell types, namely follicular and parafollicular cells. More »

In this helpful review, the authors catalog a number of the novel molecular agents now being examined for treatment of radioiodine-resistant, metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer. They also call for increased systematic study of outcomes through recruitment of patients into large-scale trials. More »

The paper by Higgins et al published in this issue highlights the important advances that have been made in the treatment of advanced thyroid cancer over the past few years. Patients with iodine-refractory metastatic thyroid cancer have suffered badly due to the reputation of thyroid cancer as being a “good” cancer to have. More »

When you start to examine the thyroid, patients frequently react instinctively by raising their head, thereby stretching the neck. Actually, such a reaction impedes precise palpation of the gland. Tell patients to keep their neck flexed forward, so as to ensure that the infrahyoid muscles of the neck are relaxed. More »

Endocrine malignancies, although relatively uncommon, are often difficult to diagnose and treat effectively. According to American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates, more than 35,000 new cases of endocrine neoplasms were diagnosed in the United States in 2007, and approximately 2,320 deaths resulted from these cancers. This chapter will focus on thyroid and parathyroid cancers. (A discussion of carcinoid tumors, insulinomas, gastrinomas, and other gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors, as well as... More »

Genzyme Corp. recently announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a supplemental indication for thyrotropin alfa for injection (Thyrogen) to be used in combination with radioiodine to ablate, or destroy, the remaining thyroid tissue in patients who have had their cancerous thyroids removed. More »

Axitinib (AG-013736), an oral small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), yielded a 30% response rate in a phase II study of patients with metastatic or unresectable thyroid cancer unresponsive to or not suitable for standard treatment with radioactive iodine. More »

CHICAGO -- Two novel therapies targeting vascular endothelial growth factor demonstrated activity in refractory thyroid and ovarian cancer, investigators reported here. More »