papillary thyroid cancer
Meaning of papillary thyroid cancer: Among thyroid cancers, papillary carcinoma is the most frequently diagnosed type, arising from hormone producing follicular cells and typically growing slowly.
Definition of papillary thyroid cancer
Papillary thyroid cancer is the most common type of thyroid cancer, arising from the follicular cells of the thyroid gland, the cells normally responsible for producing thyroid hormone. Under the microscope, it characteristically grows in small, finger like projections called papillae, a pattern that gives the cancer its name.
Papillary thyroid cancer generally grows slowly and tends to occur more often in women and at a younger age than some other thyroid cancer types, though it can occur at any age. It often spreads first to nearby lymph nodes in the neck before spreading to more distant sites, a pattern that influences how the extent of disease is evaluated.
Compared with other thyroid cancer types, papillary thyroid cancer generally carries a favorable long term outlook, particularly when confined to the thyroid and nearby lymph nodes at diagnosis.
Used in a sentence
Ultrasound guided biopsy of a thyroid nodule confirmed papillary thyroid cancer.
Good to know
Papillary thyroid cancer often spreads to nearby neck lymph nodes even when the primary tumor remains small, so lymph node involvement does not necessarily indicate the same extent of disease it would for other cancer types.
Word origin
Where “papillary thyroid cancer” comes from
Papillary derives from Latin papilla, meaning a small raised projection or nipple; thyroid derives from Greek thyreoeides, meaning shield shaped; cancer derives from Latin cancer, meaning crab.