Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Thyroid Cancer in Children and Adolescents

  • Chapter
Pediatric Endocrinology

Part of the book series: Contemporary Endocrinology ((COE))

Abstract

Thyroid cancer is rare in childhood and adolescence and consists of several histopathologic groups that differ considerably in their clinical behavior. Major pathologic categories include differentiated, medullary, and poorly differentiated thyroid carcinomas. Medullary carcinoma accounts for a small percentage of pediatric thyroid cancers. It is most often diagnosed in children and adolescents affected by MEN IIa, MEN IIb, or Familial Medullary Carcinoma syndromes. These autosomal dominant disorders are known to be caused by mutations in the RET proto-oncogene; molecular screening is now available for individuals who, based on family history, are felt to be at risk (1). Poorly differentiated thyroid cancers, including anaplastic and insular carcinomas, are fortunately exceedingly uncommon in the pediatric age group but carry a very poor prognosis (2). Differentiated thyroid cancers account for the vast majority of thyroid cancers of youth and will be the focus of this review.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 74.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Vitale G, Caraglia M, Cicarelli A, et al. Current approaches and perspectives in the therapy of medullary thyroid carcinoma. Cancer 2001; 91: 1797–1808.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Hassoun AAK, Hay ID, Goellner JR, Zimmerman D. Insular thyroid carcinoma in adolescents. Cancer 1997; 79: 1044–1048.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Bernstein L, Gurney JG. Carcinomas and other malignant epithelial neoplasms. In: Ries LAG, Smith MA, Gurney JG, Linet M, Tamra T, Young JL, Bunin GR, ed. Cancer Incidence and survival among children and adolescents: United States SEER program 1975–1995. National Cancer Institute, SEER Program NIH Publ. No. 99–4649, Bethesda, MD, 1999, pp. 139–147.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Stiller CA. International variations in the incidence of childhood carcinomas. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 1994; 3: 305–310.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Feinmesser R, Lubin E, Segal K, Noyek A. Carcinoma of the thyroid in children-a review. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 1997; 10: 561–568.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Newman KD, Black T, Heller G, Azizkhan RG, Holcomb III GW, Sklar C, Vlamis V, Haase GM, La Quaglia MP. Differentiated thyroid cancer: determinants of disease progression in patients 21 years of age at diagnosis. A report from the Surgical Discipline Committee of the Children’s Cancer Group. Ann Surgery 1998; 227: 533–541.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Duffy BJ, Fitzgerald P. Thyroid cancer in childhood and adolescence: Report of 28 cases. J. Clin Endocrinol Metab 1950; 10: 1296–1308.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Boice Jr JD. Cancer following irradiation in childhood and adolescence. Med Pediatr Oncol 1996; Suppl 1: 29–34.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Ron E, Lubin JH, Shore RE, et al. Thyroid cancer after exposure to external radiation: a pooled analysis of seven studies. Radiat Res 1995; 141: 259–277.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Sklar C, Whitton J, Mertens A, et al. Abnormalities of the thyroid in survivors of Hodgkin’s disease: data from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2000; 85: 3227–3232.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Shibata Y, Yamashita S, Masyakin VB, Panasyuk GD, Nagataki S. 15 years after Chernobyl: new evidence for thyroid cancer. Lancet 2001; 358: 1965–1966.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Hahn K, Schnell-Inderst P, Grosche B, Holm LE. Thyroid cancer after diagnostic administration of iodine-131 in childhood. Radiat Res 2001; 156: 61–70.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Bell B, Mazzaferri EL. Familial adenomatous polyposis (Gardner’s syndrome) and thyroid carcinoma. a case report and review of the literature. Dig Dis Sci 1996; 38: 185–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Holm LE, Biomgren H, Lowhagen T. Cancer risks in patients with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. N Engl J Med 1985; 312: 601–604.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Mauras N, Zimmerman D, Goeliner JR. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis associated with thyroid cancer in adolescent patients. J Pediatr 1985; 106: 895–898.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Frauman AG, Moses AC. Oncogenes and growth factors in thyroid carcinogenesis. Endocrine and Metab Clin N Amer 1990; 19: 479–493.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Elesi R, Romei C, Vorontsova T, et al. RET/PTC rearrangements in thyroid nodules; studies in irradiated and not irradiated, malignant and benign thyroid lesions in children and adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2001; 86: 3211–3216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Gharib H, Mazzaferri EL. Thyroxine suppression therapy in patients with nodular thyroid disease. Ann Intern Med 1998; 128: 386–394.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Gharib H. Current evaluation of thyroid nodules. Trends Endocrinol Metab 1994; 5: 365–368.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Hung W. Well differentiated thyroid carcinomas in children and adolescents: a review. The Endocrinologist 1994; 4: 117–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Khurana KK, Labrador E, Izquierdo R, Mesonero CE, Pisharodi LR. The role of fine-needle aspiration biopsy in the management of thyroid nodules in children, adolescents, and young adults; a multiinstitutional study. Thyroid 1999; 9: 383–386.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Corrias A, Einaudi S, Chiorboli E, et al. Accuracy of fine needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid nodules in detecting malignancy in childhood: comparison with conventional clinical, laboratory, and imaging approaches. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2001; 86: 4644–4648.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Arda IS, Yildrim S, Demirhan B, Firat S. Fine needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid nodules. Arch Dis Child 2001; 85: 313–317.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Exelby PR, Frazell EL. Carcinoma of the thyroid in children. Surg Clin N Am 1969; 49: 249–259.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Liechty RD, Safaie-Shirazi S, Soper RT. Carcinoma of the thyroid in children. Surg Gynecol Obstet 1972; 134: 595–599.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Richardson JE, Beaudie JM, Brown CL, Doniach I. Thyroid cancer in young patients in Great Britain. Br J Surg 1974; 61: 85–89.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Buckwalter JA, Thomas CG, Freeman JB. Is childhood cancer a lethal disease? Ann Surg 1975; 181: 632–638.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Tallroth E, Backdahl M, Einhorn J, Lundell G. Lowhagen T, Silfversward C. Thyroid carcinoma in children and adolescents. Cancer 1986; 58: 2329–2332.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Schlumberger M, De Vathaire F, Travagli JP, et al. Differentiated thyroid carcinoma in childhood: long term follow-up of 72 patients. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1987; 65: 1088–1094.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. La Quaglia MP, Corbally MT, Heller G, Exelby PR, Brennan MF. Recurrence and morbidity in differentiated thyroid carcinoma in children. Surgery 1988; 104: 1149–1156.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Zimmerman D, Hay ID, Gough IR, et al. Papillary thyroid carcinoma in children and adults: long-term follow-up of 1039 patients conservatively treated at one institution during three decades. Surgery 1988; 104: 1157–1166.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Azizkhan RG, Askin FB, Reddick RL, Sierk AE, Thomas CG Jr. Papillary and hurthle cell thyroid carcinoma in children: a 40-yr institutional review of prognostic factors, therapy and outcome. Med Pediatr Oncol 1991; 19: 357–358.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Welch Dinauer CA, Tuttle RM, Robie DK, et al. Clinical features associated with metastasis and recurrence of differentiated thyroid cancer in children, adolescents, and young adults. Clin Endocrinol 1998; 49: 619–628.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Alessandri AJ, Goddard KJ, Blair GK, Fryer CJH, Schultz KR. Age is a major determinant of recurrence in pediatric differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Med Pediatr Oncol 2000; 35: 41–46

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Jarzab B, Junak DH, Wloch J, et al. Multivariate analysis of prognostic factors for differentiated thyroid carcinoma in children. Eur J Nucl Med 2000; 27: 833–841.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Storm HH, Plesko I. Survival of children with thyroid cancer in Europe 1978–1989. Eur J Cancer 2001; 37: 775–779.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. LaQuaglia MP, Telander RL. Differentiated and medullary thyroid cancer in childhood and adolescence. Sem Pediatr Surg 1997; 6: 42–49.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Shaha AR, Shah JP, Loree TR. Low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer: the need for selective treatment. Ann Surg Oncol 1997; 4: 328–333.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Welch Dinauer CA, Tuttle RM, Robie DK, McClellan DR, Francis GL. Extensive surgery improves recurrence-free survival for children and young patients with class I papillary thyroid carcinoma. J Pediatr Surg 1999; 34: 1799–1804.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. LaQuaglia MP, Black T, Holcomb GW III, et al. Differentiated thyroid cancer: clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcome in patients under 21 years of age who present with distant metastases. A report from the Surgical Discipline Committee of the Children’s Cancer Group. J Pediatr Surg 2000; 35: 955–960.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Yeh SDJ, LaQuaglia MP. 131I therapy for pediatric thyroid cancer. Sem Pediatr Surg 1997; 6: 128–133.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Maxon HR III, Englaro EE, Thomas SR, et al. Radioiodine-131 therapy for well-differentiated thyroid cancer-a quantitative radiation dosimetric approach: outcome and validation in 85 patients. J Nucl Med 1992; 33: 1132–1136.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Becker DV, Zanzonico PB. Radioiodine therapy in children. In: Robbins J, ed. Treatment of Thyroid Cancer in Childhood, National Institutes of Health, DOE/EH 0406, Bethesda, 1992, pp. 111–125.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Brink JS, van Heerden JA, McIver B, et al. Papillary thyroid cancer with pulmonary metastases in children; long-term prognosis. Surgery 2001; 128: 881–887.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Samuel AM, Rajashekharrao, Shah DH. Pulmonary metastases in children and adolescents with well-differentiated thyroid cancer. J Nucl Med 1998; 39: 1531–1536.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Leeper RD. Thyroid cancer. Med Clin North Am 1985; 69: 1079–76.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Reynolds JC. Comparison of 131I absorbed radiation doses in children and adults. A tool for estimating therapeutic 131I doses in children. In: Robbins J, ed. Treatment of Thyroid Cancer in Childhood, National Institutes of Health, DOE/EH 0406, Behtesda, 1992, pp. 127–135.

    Google Scholar 

  48. Hall P, Boice JD, Berg G, et al. Leukaemia incidence after iodine-131 exposure. Lancet 1992; 340: 1–4.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Hall P, Holm LE, Lundell G, et al. Cancer risks in thyroid cancer patients. Br J Cancer 1991; 64: 159–163.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Green DM, Edge SB, Penetrante RB, Bakshi S, Shedd D, Zevon MA. In situ breast carcinoma after treatment during adolescence for thyroid cancer with radioiodine. Med Ped Oncol 1995; 24: 82–86.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Chen AY, Levy L, Goepfert Brown BW, Spitz MR, Vassilopoulou-Sellin R. The development of breast carcinoma in women with thyroid cancer. Cancer 2001; 92: 225–231.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Ahmed SH, Shalet SM. Gonadal damage due to radioactive iodine treatment for thyroid carcinoma. Postgrad Med J 1985; 61: 361–362.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Sarkar SD, Beierwaltes H, Gill SP, Cowley BJ. Subsequent fertility and birth history of children and adolescents treated with 131I for thyroid cancer. J Nucl Med 1976; 17: 460–464.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Ceccarelli C, Bencivelli W, Morciano D, Pinchera A, Pacini F. 131I therapy for differentiated thyroid cancer leads to an earlier onset of menopause: results of a retrospective study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2001; 86: 3512–3515.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Vassilopoulou-Sellin R, Goepfert H, Raney B, Schultz PN. Differentiated thyroid cancer in children and adolescents: clinical outcome and mortality after long-term follow-up. Head Neck 1998; 20: 549–555.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Dulgeroff AJ, Hershman JM. Medical therapy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Endocrine Rev 1994; 15: 500–515.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Biondi B, Fazio S, Cuocolo A, et al. Impaired cardiac reserve and exercise capacity in patients receiving long-term thyrotropin suppressive therapy with levothyroxine. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996; 81: 4224–4228.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Burmeister LA, Goumaz MO, Mariash CN, Oppenheimer JH. Levothyroxine dose requirements for thyrotropin suppression in the treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1992; 75: 344–350.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Ozata M, Suzuki S, Miyamoto T, Liu RT, Fierro-Renoy F, Degroot LJ. Serum thyroglobulin in the follow-up of patients with treated differentiated thyroid cancer. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1994; 79: 98–105.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Robbins RJ, Tuttle RM, Sharaf RN, et al. Preparation by recombinant human thyrotropin or thyroid hormone withdrawal are comparable for the detection of residual differentiated thyroid carcinoma. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2001; 86: 619–625.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Charles A. Sklar MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael P. La Quaglia MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Pediatric Endocrinology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    Sally Radovick MD

  2. Division of Endocrinology, Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA

    Margaret H. MacGillivray MD

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2003 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Sklar, C.A., La Quaglia, M.P. (2003). Thyroid Cancer in Children and Adolescents. In: Radovick, S., MacGillivray, M.H. (eds) Pediatric Endocrinology. Contemporary Endocrinology. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-336-1_19

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-336-1_19

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61737-268-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-336-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation