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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
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Spontaneous Murine Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
Published on: February 3, 2023
Molecular evidence for the same clonal origin of multifocal papillary thyroid carcinomas
Ryan P McCarthy1, Mingsheng Wang, Timothy D Jones
1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Summary
Multifocal papillary thyroid carcinoma lesions often originate from a single clone, suggesting intrathyroidal spread is a key factor. This finding impacts diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis for thyroid cancer patients.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Genetics
- Pathology
Background:
- Papillary thyroid carcinoma frequently presents as multiple distinct tumors.
- The clonal origin of these multifocal lesions remains unclear, with conflicting prior research.
- Molecular techniques can elucidate genetic relationships between coexisting tumors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if multifocal papillary thyroid carcinoma lesions in patients are clonally related.
- To investigate the genetic origins of multiple papillary thyroid tumors within the same patient.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed 64 tumors from 22 female patients with multifocal papillary thyroid carcinoma.
- Utilized laser-capture microdissection for DNA extraction from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues.
- Performed loss of heterozygosity assays and X-chromosome inactivation analysis on tumor samples.
Main Results:
- 91% of cases showed allelic loss in at least one marker across lesions.
- 87% of cases exhibited concordant allelic loss patterns between tumors.
- All informative cases demonstrated a concordant pattern of X-chromosome inactivation.
Conclusions:
- Multifocal papillary thyroid tumors frequently originate from a single clone.
- Intrathyroidal metastasis is likely a significant mechanism in papillary thyroid carcinoma spread.
- Findings have implications for thyroid cancer therapy, diagnosis, and prognosis.
