Melanoma and Thyroid Carcinoma: Our Current Understanding

Abstract

Melanoma is listed among the most common cancers in the United States, with new cases increasing steadily.1 Due to the aggressive nature of melanoma and its high risk of metastasis, early detection and treatment is essential. It is noted that the majority of unresectable and metastatic melanomas are BRAF V600-mutated.2 Recently, rates of papillary thyroid carcinoma have also been increasing. Studies have indicated BRAF V600-mutations are common in papillary thyroid carcinoma, second only to melanoma. The BRAF mutation in thyroid carcinoma similarly portends more aggressive behavior. The association between melanoma and thyroid disease was noted in several patients in our clinic and fueled our literature review in an attempt to better understand this clinical observation. A systematic English-language literature review was performed using PubMed Central and ScienceDirect online databases. Search parameters included articles published from January 2000 to July 2018 and key search terms were melanoma and thyroid carcinoma and BRAF mutation and thyroid cancer. The initial search yielded 2,470 and 234 articles in each respective database. Articles that lacked relevant information were excluded. The literature we reviewed supports our theory that thyroid dysfunction is disproportionately noted among patients with a history of melanoma. In order to detect disease early, it is critical for dermatologists, internists, family practitioners, endocrinologists, and oncologists to be aware of the association between these two primary malignancies when proceeding with appropriate screening examinations.

Keywords: BRAF mutation; Melanoma; papillary thyroid carcinoma; thyroid carcinoma; thyroid stimulating hormone.