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Follicular Carcinoma of the Thyroid

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Abstract

Follicular carcinoma of the thyroid is one of the subgroups of differentiated thyroid carcinoma. This group also includes papillary carcinoma and the follicular variant of papillary carcinoma. Hürthle cell (oxyphil cell, Askanazy cell) carcinoma is now considered a subgroup of follicular carcinoma. Although these tumors are all generally slow growing, late to metastasize, and often associated with a normal life span, there are significant differences among them. This has produced much confusion in the literature, where authors have lumped them all together as “well-differentiated carcinoma” and have reported results of treatment in large series without regard for separating patients in terms of risk factors. Finally, there is great variability in length of follow up in a relatively slow growing lesion. In attempting to understand follicular carcinoma it is important to remember that its etiology, epidemiology, pathology, clinical features, pattern of growth and spread, prognosis, and response to various treatment modalities are different from other tumors in this group.

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Authors
  1. Robert P. Fiedler
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Endocrinology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Rhoda H. Cobin M.D. (Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine and Endocrinology, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine; Associate Attending Physician, Mt. Sinai Hospital) & David King Sirota M.D. (Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine and Endocrinology, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine; Associate Attending Physician, Mt. Sinai Hospital; Attending Endocrinologist, Jewish Home and Hospital for Aged) (Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine and Endocrinology, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine; Associate Attending Physician, Mt. Sinai Hospital) &  (Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine and Endocrinology, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine; Associate Attending Physician, Mt. Sinai Hospital; Attending Endocrinologist, Jewish Home and Hospital for Aged)

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Fiedler, R.P. (1992). Follicular Carcinoma of the Thyroid. In: Cobin, R.H., Sirota, D.K. (eds) Malignant Tumors of the Thyroid. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-9127-2_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-9127-2_2

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