Anaplastic thyroid cancer risk factors

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Ammu Susheela, M.D. [2]

Common risk factors in the development of anaplastic thyroid cancer are iodine deficiency, family history of thyroid cancer, and radiation exposure.

• Patients with a history of radiation administered in infancy and childhood for benign conditions of the head and neck, such as enlarged thymus, acne, or tonsillar or adenoidal enlargement, have an increased risk of cancer as well as other abnormalities of the thyroid gland. Radiation exposure as a consequence of nuclear fallout has also been associated with a high risk of thyroid cancer, especially in children.
• Other risk factors for the development of thyroid cancer include the following:

• A history of goiter
• Family history of thyroid disease
• Female gender
• Asian race^[1]

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