Chemokines in thyroid cancer: Mechanistic insights and clinical implications

Thyroid cancer, the most prevalent endocrine malignancy, exhibits a diverse range of clinical behaviors, from indolent to highly aggressive phenotypes. Growing evidence indicates that chemokines, cytokines involved in the trafficking of leukocytes and other cell types, significantly influence the tumor microenvironment by facilitating immune evasion, promoting angiogenesis, and driving metastatic progression in thyroid malignancies. This review comprehensively explores the roles of chemokine signaling pathways in the pathophysiology of thyroid cancer, with a particular emphasis on their impact on tumor-immune system interactions, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and stromal remodeling. We underscore the chemokine-mediated processes that characterize the various histological subtypes of thyroid cancer, including papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Additionally, we investigate the diagnostic and prognostic potential of specific chemokines, assessing their value as biomarkers and their emerging roles as therapeutic targets for immunomodulatory and anti-metastatic strategies. By synthesizing data from both in vitro and in vivo studies, this review highlights the translational significance of chemokine biology and suggests future directions for utilizing chemokine pathways in personalized treatment approaches for thyroid cancer.