Anatomy and physiology of the thyroid gland clinical correlates to thyroid cancer

Abstract

To better understand the biology of thyroid malignancies, it is extremely important to have a thorough understanding of the thyroid's relationship to its surrounding structures, both anatomically and functionally. This would allow a clinician to understand and predict the behavior of such factors as local invasion, regional lymph node, as well as distant metastasis. This short review focuses on some aspects of thyroid anatomy and physiology that are clinically relevant to the diagnosis and management of thyroid cancer. © 2006 Humana Press Inc.