What are the characteristics of different types of thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer is a common endocrine tumor in clinical practice. Different types of thyroid cancer have different characteristics. Common types include papillary carcinoma, follicular carcinoma, medullary carcinoma, and undifferentiated carcinoma. If thyroid cancer occurs, it is recommended to go to the hospital in time and follow the doctor's advice for relevant treatment.

1. Papillary carcinoma: It is the most common type of thyroid cancer. It is less malignant and has a good prognosis in most cases. The tumor is mostly located on the surface of the thyroid gland. Nodules can be seen on the surface. It is hard and large in size, and has unclear boundaries with surrounding tissues.

2. Follicular carcinoma: There are one or more tumors in the thyroid follicular epithelial cells. They grow slowly and are small in size. Most of them have no clinical symptoms. Follicular carcinoma can be found as isolated nodules in the thyroid gland. It is less malignant than papillary carcinoma and has a better prognosis.

3. Medullary carcinoma: Common in medullary thyroid carcinoma, it is a malignant tumor originating from the parafollicular cells of the thyroid gland. It is more malignant than papillary carcinoma and is prone to cervical lymph node metastasis. Medullary carcinoma can infiltrate surrounding tissues along lymphatic vessels, and can also spread along blood vessels or nerves, with a relatively wide range of metastasis;

4. Undifferentiated carcinoma: Undifferentiated carcinoma refers to a malignant tumor originating from the thyroid follicular epithelium or parafollicular cells. It is highly malignant, grows rapidly, and is difficult to control. Local lymph node metastasis and even distant metastasis may occur in the early stage. Undifferentiated carcinoma has a strong ability to infiltrate and invade surrounding tissues, is prone to local or distant metastasis, and has a poor prognosis.

In addition to the above types, there are other types such as medullary cystic carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Undifferentiated carcinoma is a relatively rare type of thyroid cancer, and its malignancy is higher than other types such as papillary carcinoma and follicular carcinoma. The pathogenesis of undifferentiated carcinoma is still unclear, and it may be related to ionizing radiation, genetics, iodine deficiency and other reasons.