How aggressive is Hürthle cell carcinoma?
Hurthle cell thyroid cancer is usually classified as a type of follicular thyroid cancer, although it is really a distinct kind of tumor because it grows more aggressively, making up only about 3% to 5% of all types of thyroid cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
Are Hurthle cells always cancerous?
Although a large proportion of Hurthle cell nodules are classified as suspicious by the AGEC, only 14% of these nodules are cancerous. Further, only 32% of patients with Hurthle cell nodules avoided surgery based on a benign AGEC result.
Can Hurthle cell adenoma become cancerous?
When benign, it is called a Hürthle cell adenoma, and when malignant it is called a Hürthle cell carcinoma. Hürthle cell adenoma is characterized by a mass of benign Hürthle cells (Askanazy cells).
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Hürthle cell neoplasm | |
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Histopathology of a Hürthle cell adenoma | |
Specialty | Oncology |
Is Hürthle cell carcinoma fast growing?
Since hurthle cell cancer usually doesn’t have any symptoms, the cancer grows slowly for years and has time for the hurthle cell cancer to spread into the lymph nodes which are doing their job of capturing the cancerous cells before they can spread further.
Where does Hürthle cell carcinoma spread to?
Hurthle cell carcinoma has the highest incidence of metastasis among all differentiated thyroid cancers. Most commonly haematogenous spread to lungs, bones and brain, however spread to regional lymph nodes is not uncommon.
What causes Hurthle cells?
It’s not clear what causes Hurthle cell cancer. This cancer begins when cells in the thyroid develop changes in their DNA. A cell’s DNA contains the instructions that tell a cell what to do. The DNA changes, which doctors call mutations, tell the thyroid cells to grow and multiply quickly.
Are Hurthle cells normal in thyroid?
Follicular and hurthle cells are normal cells found in the thyroid. Current analysis of thyroid biopsy results cannot differentiate between follicular or hurthle cell cancer from noncancerous adenomas. This occurs in 15-20% of biopsies and often results in the need for surgery to remove the nodule.
How common is Hurthle cell?
Hürthle cell carcinomas account for approximately 5% of thyroid malignancies. They are relatively rare tumors, and, as such, relatively little is known on a large-scale basis about the long-term survival of patients with Hürthle cell carcinoma.
Do Hurthle cells need to be removed?
This type of cancer tends to be more aggressive than the most common type of thyroid cancer, papillary thyroid cancer. Because there is potential to cure Hurthle cell thyroid cancer with surgery alone in many cases, removing part or all of the thyroid gland is the most common treatment.
What causes hurthle cells?
Where does Hurthle cell carcinoma spread to?
What causes Hürthle cell carcinoma?