Gene abnormalities in thyroid cancer
Namba, H.; Yamashita, S.
Nihon Rinsho. Japanese Journal of Clinical Medicine 65(11): 1967-1972
2007
ISSN/ISBN: 0047-1852 PMID: 18018556 Document Number: 613203
A number of genetic abnormalities in oncogenes or anti-oncogenes have been identified in association with thyroid carcinogenesis. Especially, oncogenes such as ras mutation, ret/PTC and Braf mutation that constitutively activate MAP kinase pathway a refrequently found in papillary thyroid cancer. The p53 mutation aggravates differentiated thyroid cancers to anaplastic thyroid cancer. These gene alterations are studied not only to understand basically the mechanisms of oncogenesis but also to develop clinically genetic diagnosis or molecular target therapy. In this article, we review the genetic diagnostic methods and phenotype-genotype relationship of human thyroid cancers.