An Overview of Thyroid Cancer Genetics and Inheritance

Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most common endocrine malignancy and its incidence hasbeen increasing sharply since the mid-1990s [1]. TC is a general term that comprises two main groups of neoplasias, depending on the cell type affected by the malignant transformation. 1) Carcinomas originating from the follicular epithelium, referred to as nonmedullary thyroid cancer (NMTC) representing more than 95% of all TC; and 2) carcinomas originating from the parafollicular thyroid C cells, referred to as medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) accounting less than 5% of all TC.