Rena Vassilopoulou-Sellin, MD, FACP

Differentiated thyroid cancer, the most common endocrine malignancy, can touch the lives of young and old individuals. It is generally associated with a normal lifespan whether it is completely eradicated or held in check with judicious medical interventions.

Endocrine neoplasms are relatively uncommon, but those that do occur are often difficult to detect and treat effectively. According to 1991 estimates, there were 13,900 cases of endocrine cancers in the United States, 12% of which will ultimately prove fatal.

Papillary thyroid cancer is predominantly a sporadic disease that usually presents as an asymptomatic thyroid mass in a euthyroid patient. Irradiation to the neck during childhood significantly increases the subsequent risk of