Metastatic propagation of thyroid cancer; organ tropism and major modulators

Future Oncol. 2020 Jun;16(18):1301-1319. doi: 10.2217/fon-2019-0780. Epub 2020 May 18.

Abstract

Thyroid cancer, as the most prevalent endocrine malignancy, comprises nearly 1% of all cancers in the world. The metastatic propagation of thyroid cancer is under the control of a number of modulating processes and factors such as signaling pathways and their components, cell division regulators, metabolic reprogramming factors, extracellular matrix remodelers, epithelial to mesenchymal transition modulators, epigenetic mechanisms, hypoxia and cytokines. Identifying the exact molecular mechanisms of these dysregulated processes could help to discover the key targets for therapeutic purposes and utilizing them as diagnostic, prognostic and predictors of the clinical course of patients. In this review article, we describe different aspects of thyroid cancer metastasis by focusing on defective genes and pathways involved in its metastatic spread.

Keywords: diagnostic; factors; invasion; metastasis; migration; organotropism; prognostic; signaling; therapeutic; thyroid cancer.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomarkers
  • Disease Susceptibility
  • Energy Metabolism
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
  • Extracellular Matrix
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Neoplastic Cells, Circulating
  • Signal Transduction
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / etiology
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / pathology*

Substances

  • Biomarkers