What follicular thyroid carcinoma is?
Follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) is the second most common cancer of the thyroid, after papillary carcinoma. Follicular and papillary thyroid cancers are considered to be differentiated thyroid cancers; together they make up 95% of thyroid cancer cases.
Which age group is more affected by Follicular thyroid carcinoma?
• Incidence is higher in women than men.
• Thyroid carcinoma is common in all age groups, with an age range of 15-84 years.
What causes Follicular thyroid carcinoma?
• Exposure to ionizing radiation.
• Iodine deficiency.
• Mutations of the ras oncogene.
What are the signs and symptoms of Follicular thyroid carcinoma?
• Thyroid mass or nodule in the neck.
• Persistent cough.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Difficulty swallowing.
• Pain.
• Stridor.
• Vocal cord paralysis.
• Hemoptysis
How to investigate Follicular thyroid carcinoma?
Complete assessment of thyroid function:
Levels above the T4, T3 and TSH reference range may indicate thyroid cancer.
• TSH suppression test
• PCR Technique
• USG
• Fine needle aspiration biopsy
• Fiber-optic laryngoscopy
How to treat Follicular thyroid carcinoma?
• Surgery.
• Thyroid replacement therapy.
• External beam radiation therapy.
• Chemotherapy with cisplatin or doxorubicin has limited efficacy
What is the differential diagnosis of Follicular thyroid carcinoma?
• Goiter
• Goiter, Toxic Nodular
• Graves’ Disease
• Hurtle Cell Carcinoma
• Thyroid Nodule
• Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
• Medullary thyroid carcinoma
• Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma
