Risk Factors for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Rodrigo Arrangoiz MS, MD, FACS, FSSO

  • Radiation exposure:
    • Radiation exposure of the thyroid during childhood:
      • Is the most clearly defined environmental factor:
        • Associated with benign and malignant thyroid tumors
    • Potential sources of radiation exposure include:
      • Therapeutic uses of radiation (eg, treatment of childhood malignancies)
      • Environmental exposure secondary to:
        • Fallout from atomic weapons (eg, Nagasaki / Hiroshima, Japan)
        • Nuclear power plant accidents (eg, Chernobyl)
      • In the past, ionizing radiation was used to treat a wide variety of benign conditions of the head and neck:
        • Although this practice essentially ceased in the late 1950s to early 1960s due to increased appreciation of the carcinogenic effects of radiation on the thyroid
  • Family history:
    • A history of thyroid cancer in a:
      • First-degree relative
    • Family history of a thyroid cancer syndrome:
      • Familial polyposis
      • Carney complex
      • Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 [MEN2]
      • Werner syndrome
      • Cowden syndrome
  • A family history:
    • Increases the risk that a nodule may be malignant
    • In one study, there was a 10-fold increased risk of thyroid cancer in relatives of thyroid cancer patients
    • In a second report, the standardized incidence ratio for papillary cancer was 3.2 with an involved parent, 6.2 with an involved sibling, and 11.2 for a female with an involved sister
  • Other:
    • A number of other possible (but not proven) risk factors have been reported
    • Their relative importance appears to be small but not completely defined
    • Potential risk factors include the following:
      • Occupational and environmental exposures
      • Hepatitis C-related chronic hepatitis (odds ratio [OR] 12.2 in one report)
      • Increased parity and late age at first pregnancy
      • Obesity or overweight 
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Published by Rodrigo Arrangoiz MS, MD, FACS, FSSO

My name is Rodrigo Arrangoiz I am a breast surgeon/ thyroid surgeon / parathyroid surgeon / head and neck surgeon / surgical oncologist that works at Center for Advanced Surgical Oncology in Miami, Florida. I was trained as a surgeon at Michigan State University from (2005 to 2010) where I was a chief resident in 2010. My surgical oncology and head and neck training was performed at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia from 2010 to 2012. At the same time I underwent a masters in science (Clinical research for health professionals) at the University of Drexel. Through the International Federation of Head and Neck Societies / Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center I performed a two year head and neck surgery and oncology / endocrine fellowship that ended in 2016. Mi nombre es Rodrigo Arrangoiz, soy cirujano oncólogo / cirujano de tumores de cabeza y cuello / cirujano endocrino que trabaja Center for Advanced Surgical Oncology en Miami, Florida. Fui entrenado como cirujano en Michigan State University (2005 a 2010 ) donde fui jefe de residentes en 2010. Mi formación en oncología quirúrgica y e n tumores de cabeza y cuello se realizó en el Fox Chase Cancer Center en Filadelfia de 2010 a 2012. Al mismo tiempo, me sometí a una maestría en ciencias (investigación clínica para profesionales de la salud) en la Universidad de Drexel. A través de la Federación Internacional de Sociedades de Cabeza y Cuello / Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center realicé una sub especialidad en cirugía de cabeza y cuello / cirugia endocrina de dos años que terminó en 2016.

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