FDG PET positivity in papillary thyroid microcarcinomas is a useful way to identify lymph-node metastases and extracapsular tumor extension
Clinical Thyroidology
Papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (PTMCs), which are generally indolent tumors ≤1 cm, comprise almost half of all thyroid cancers. Although these tumors generally have an excellent prognosis, a subset has more aggressive behavior, with lymph-node metastases and extrathyroidal tumor capsular invasion that can be associated with about a 5 percent tumor recurrence rate and occasional cancer-specific mortality of approximately 2 percent.More

Doctors use genomic approach to evaluate suspicious thyroid nodules
Medical Daily
Doctors at the University of Colorado School of Medicine were concerned recently when they found a nodule in the thyroid of a 64-year-old Colorado man. They extracted cells from the nodule, hoping to determine whether the man had cancer. But the biopsy results were inconclusive. Even a few months ago, such uncertainty would have likely led to surgery to remove all or part of the thyroid. At least this patient would have faced a tense waiting period to see if, over time, he developed clear signs of cancer.More

FDA panel backs AstraZeneca drug for rare thyroid cancer
FOX Business
A Food and Drug Administration panel backed the use of an AstraZeneca PLC (AZN, AZN.LN) drug to treat a rare type of thyroid cancer, but said the drug should be reserved for patients who are experiencing symptoms of their disease. The drug, vandetanib, is being developed as a thyroid cancer treatment. In most cases, thyroid cancer grows slowly. AstraZeneca is seeking approval of the therapy to treat patients with medullary thyroid cancer, which is diagnosed in fewer than 2,000 U.S. patients each year. The drug is also being studied in patients with papillary thyroid cancer, a more common type of cancer.More

TSH concentration is increased and FT4 is decreased in pregnancies resulting in miscarriage or fetal death
Clinical Thyroidology for Patients
Maintaining normal thyroid function in the mother during pregnancy is very important. It is clear that an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), where both the TSH is increased and the T4 level is decreased, has been associated with an increased risk of miscarriage and fetal death. However, the association of miscarriage with mild hypothyroidism where the T4 is normal and only the TSH is increased (subclinical hypothyroidism) has been less clear. Thus, it is unclear at what level of hypothyroidism the risk of miscarriage starts to increase.More

UC Davis study: Hip fractures in older men linked to thyroid disease
Daily Democrat
New research from UC Davis Health System finds that older men with subclinical thyroid dysfunction have an increased risk of suffering hip fractures and suggests that screening and treatment for thyroid dysfunction in its most subtle forms could reduce the incidence of this common injury. The large prospective study, published in the Nov. 22 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, begins to put to rest an ongoing controversy about the significance of subclinical thyroid dysfunction.More

Thyroid disease common in US
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Every year millions of people develop thyroid problems, with approximately 27 million Americans experiencing thyroid disorder. According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, this makes thyroid disease the leading endocrine disorder (problem that affects hormone glands) in the United States. As common as thyroid disease is, the AACE estimates that about half of people with a thyroid disease remain undiagnosed. More