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Introduction to Thyroid Cancer
What Causes Thyroid Cancer?
Although scientists have discovered certain risk factors that may predispose individuals to the development of thyroid cancer, the exact cause of thyroid cancer remains unknown. Scientists have speculated that most cancers, including thyroid cancer, develop as a result of genetic mutations (abnormalities) that occur as the body's cells divide and grow. For example, specific genetic mutations known as Ras mutations have been found in benign thyroid nodules as well as in malignant thyroid tumors. Mutations of a gene called the RET oncogene have also been identified in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma.
