Update on Somatic Genomic Alterations in Follicular Cell-Derived Thyroid Cancers

Abstract

Since the advent of polymerase chain reaction-based, Sanger, and massive parallel sequencing platforms over the past 4 decades, these technologies have been liberally employed to investigate the genomic profile of every common type of human cancer. Most importantly, these advances have already been translated into numerous diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications that have improved the lives of patients with thyroid cancer. This article will discuss the landscape of somatic mutations associated with thyroid carcinomas arising from follicular cells, including differentiated, poorly differentiated, and anaplastic/undifferentiated thyroid carcinomas, and will also discuss the use of molecular testing in clinical management.

Keywords: Cancer genomics; Follicular thyroid carcinoma; Mutation; Papillary thyroid carcinoma; Thyroid cancer.