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An Update on Mechanisms and Treatments for Thyroid Cancer in Current Oncology

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A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Biology and Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 3820

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Zhilong Ai

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Guest Editor

Department of Surgery (Thyroid & Breast), Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Interests: thyroid cancer therapeutics with a particular focus on surgical treatment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Thyroid cancer (TC) ranked 9th in terms of malignant tumor incidence worldwide in 2020 and 5th among females, thereby establishing itself as a significant threat to population health. Although TC generally exhibits a better prognosis compared to other cancers, poorly differentiated thyroid cancer, a subtype of TC, displays the shortest average survival time. The precise cause of TC's high incidence remains unclear, particularly the molecular mechanisms underlying its development. Consequently, the primary approaches for treating TC involve surgery, often supplemented by 131I therapy, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy, and biomarker-targeted therapy. Unfortunately, these treatments, except for targeted biological therapies, often result in irreversible harm to patients, such as thyroidectomy or radiation injuries. While targeted therapy can be expensive, and current TC biomarkers remain limited, their effects are still being explored. Additionally, aside from surgical resection, alternative treatment methods remain subject to ongoing controversy.

We are pleased to invite you to publish papers spanning basic, translational, and other aspects of thyroid cancer. Original contributions should encompass a broad spectrum of topics within the field, spanning from molecular and cellular biology to immunology, biochemistry, physiology, pathology, and the treatment of both pediatric and adult thyroid cancer. A special emphasis will be placed on thyroid cancer therapy and the molecular mechanisms.

This Special Issue aims to original research articles and comprehensive reviews related to thyroid cancer. The contents may include, but are not limited to, the following subtopics:

Molecular regulations in thyroid cancer.
Cancer treatment via immunotherapeutic, biochemical, and other approaches.
Mechanisms underlying the occurrence, development, and deterioration of thyroid cancer.
Novel biomarkers for diagnosing, treating, and predicting prognosis in thyroid cancer.
Thyroid cancer research with new methods and technologies, including multi-omics, single cell sequencing, etc.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Zhilong Ai
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomedicines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

thyroid cancer
mechanisms
treatments
biomarkers
precision medicine
infiltration
metastasis

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 1298 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Radioiodine Therapy on the Prognosis of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer with Lung Metastases

by Shenghong Zhang, Mengqin Zhu, Han Zhang, Hanhui Liu, Xin Fan, Jiajia Zhang and Fei Yu

Biomedicines 2024, 12(3), 532; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12030532 - 27 Feb 2024

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Abstract

Lung metastasis substantially influences the survival of thyroid cancer (TC) patients. This study sought to investigate factors impacting the survival of differentiated thyroid cancer patients with lung metastases (DTC–LM) undergoing radioiodine therapy (RAI) after thyroid surgery. The retrospective study encompassed 609 TC patients with lung metastases. Survival outcomes—specifically, overall survival (OS) and thyroid cancer-specific survival (TCSS)—were examined through both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Radioiodine therapy (RAI)’s impact on DTC–LM patient survival was further assessed with the Kaplan–Meier survival curve. Of the 609 TC patients with lung metastases, 434 (71.3%) were found to have undergone thyroid surgery after a median follow-up of 59 months. Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), stage IV, and lung metastases associated with other metastases were identified as risk factors for OS and TCSS in TCLM patients. RAI therapy significantly enhances survival in DTC–LM patients followed by primary site surgery under the age of 55, PTC patients, and those with single organ metastases at lung. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue An Update on Mechanisms and Treatments for Thyroid Cancer in Current Oncology)

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12 pages, 1821 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association of BRAF V600E Mutant Allele Proportion with the Dissemination Stage of Papillary Thyroid Cancer

by Ivan Blazekovic, Ivan Samija, Josipa Perisa, Koraljka Gall Troselj, Tihana Regovic Dzombeta, Petra Radulovic, Matija Romic, Roko Granic, Ines Sisko Markos, Ana Frobe, Zvonko Kusic and Tomislav Jukic

Biomedicines 2024, 12(3), 477; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12030477 - 21 Feb 2024

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Abstract

The early identification of aggressive forms of cancer is of high importance in treating papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Disease dissemination is a major factor influencing patient survival. Mutation status of BRAF oncogene, BRAF V600E, is proposed to be an indicator of disease recurrence; however, its influence on PTC dissemination has not been deciphered. This study aimed to explore the association of the frequency of BRAF V600E alleles in PTC with disease dissemination. In this study, 173 PTC samples were analyzed, measuring the proportion of BRAF V600E alleles by qPCR, which was then normalized against the proportion of tumor cells. Semiquantitative analysis of BRAF V600E mutant protein was performed by immunohistochemistry. The BRAF V600E mutation was present in 60% of samples, while the normalized frequency of mutated BRAF alleles ranged from 1.55% to 92.06%. There was no significant association between the presence and/or proportion of the BRAF V600E mutation with the degree of PTC dissemination. However, the presence of the BRAF mutation was significantly linked with angioinvasion. This study’s results suggest that there is a heterogeneous distribution of the BRAF mutation and the presence of oligoclonal forms of PTC. It is likely that the BRAF mutation alone does not significantly contribute to PTC aggressiveness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue An Update on Mechanisms and Treatments for Thyroid Cancer in Current Oncology)

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13 pages, 643 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Minimal Extrathyroid Extension (mETE) as the Only Risk Factor in Patients with Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma (PC): Its Clinical Impact on Recurrence and Outcome during Long-Term Follow-Up

by Andrea Marongiu, Susanna Nuvoli, Andrea De Vito, Sonia Vargiu, Angela Spanu and Giuseppe Madeddu

Biomedicines 2024, 12(2), 350; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12020350 - 2 Feb 2024

Viewed by 814

Abstract

Minimal extrathyroid extension (mETE) effect on papillary thyroid carcinoma (PC) prognosis is still debated even more so now that this factor has been removed in the 8th AJCC Edition, supporting the hypothesis that mETE is not associated with aggressive tumors. We retrospectively enrolled 91 PC patients (Group 1) submitted to total thyroidectomy and radioiodine ablation. At the time of the primary tumor surgery, mETE was ascertained in all patients with no other risk factors, such as multifocality, vascular invasion, neck and distant metastases, and aggressive histological variants. As controls, 205 consecutive matched PC patients (Group 2) without mETE and the aforementioned risk factors were enrolled. During the follow-up (average 8 years), 16/91 (17.58%) Group 1 patients and 15/205 (7.32%) Group 2 patients developed metastases (p = 0.0078). Cox regression analysis showed an increased risk of metastases in patients with mETE (HR: 2.58 (95% CI 1.28–5.22) p = 0.008). Disease-free survival (DFS) was significantly lower in patients with mETE than in controls (p = 0.0059). The present study seems to demonstrate that mETE can be associated with an aggressive PC and can be considered, even alone without other risk factors, an independent factor of unfavorable DFS. Thus, by excluding mETE in the 8th AJCC Edition, patient care and management could be compromised. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue An Update on Mechanisms and Treatments for Thyroid Cancer in Current Oncology)

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Review

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12 pages, 3546 KiB

Open AccessReview

Molecular Pathology of Thyroid Tumors: Essential Points to Comprehend Regarding the Latest WHO Classification

by Tomohiro Chiba

Biomedicines 2024, 12(4), 712; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12040712 - 22 Mar 2024

Viewed by 869

Abstract

In 2022, the new WHO Classification of Endocrine and Neuroendocrine Tumors, Fifth Edition (beta version) (WHO 5th), was published. Large-scale genomic analyses such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) have revealed the importance of understanding the molecular genetics of thyroid tumors. Consequently, the WHO 5th was fundamentally revised, resulting in a systematic classification based on the cell of origin of tumors and their clinical risk. This paper outlines the following critical points of the WHO 5th. 1. Genetic mutations in follicular cell-derived neoplasms (FDNs) highlight the role of mutations in the MAP kinase pathway, including RET, RAS, and BRAF, as drivers of carcinogenesis. Differentiated thyroid cancers such as follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) have specific genetic alterations that correlate with morphological classifications: RAS-like tumors (RLTs) and BRAF p.V600E-like tumors (BLTs), respectively. 2. The framework for benign lesions has been revised. The WHO 5th introduces a new category: “developmental abnormalities”. Benign FDNs comprise “thyroid follicular nodular disease”, follicular thyroid adenoma (FTA), FTA with papillary architecture, and oncocytic adenoma (OA). “Hürthle cell adenoma/carcinoma” is renamed oncocytic adenoma/carcinoma of the thyroid (OA/OCA), which can be distinguished from FTA/FTC by its unique genetic background. 3. Low-risk tumors include NIFTP, TT-UMP, and HTT, and they have an extremely low malignant potential or an uncertain malignant potential. 4. PTC histological variants are reclassified as “subtypes” in the WHO 5th. 5. The concept of high-grade carcinomas is introduced, encompassing poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma (PDTC), differentiated high-grade thyroid carcinoma (DHGTC), and high-grade medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). 6. Squamous cell carcinoma is included in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) in the WHO 5th due to their shared genetic and prognostic features. 7. Other miscellaneous tumors are categorized as salivary-gland-type carcinomas of the thyroid, thyroid tumors of uncertain histogenesis, thymic tumors within the thyroid, and embryonal thyroid neoplasms. The WHO 5th thus emphasizes the importance of classifying tumors based on both genetic abnormalities and histomorphology. This approach aids in achieving accurate pathological diagnosis and facilitates the early selection of appropriate treatment options, including molecular targeted therapies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue An Update on Mechanisms and Treatments for Thyroid Cancer in Current Oncology)

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