Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid in children

Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid is the most common thyroid cancer in children. It usually occurs in the teenage female and presents as a 3-cm mass within the thyroid itself. Although the tumor is well differentiated, almost 80% of all children will present with local lymph node metastasis. Despite this metastasis, most children have a life expectancy that parallels those of their peers for 30 years. Treatment for well-differentiated papillary carcinoma includes surgical excision of all cancerous tissue and removal of the affected lymph nodes. Radioablation of residual disease has been effective.