Thyroid cancer is a common endocrine tumor. In recent years, several advances have been made in the field of molecular biology and tumorigenic mechanisms of thyroid carcinomas, and targeted therapy research will provide new ideas for treating thyroid carcinoma. In this paper, the authors address the research progress of targeted therapy for thyroid carcinomas and includes the aspects of thyroid carcinoma stem cells, miRNA, and the microenvironment of thyroid cancer.

Objective: To investigate the clinical features as well as diagnosis and treatment strategies of differentiated thyroid microcarcinoma (TMC). Methods: The clinical data of 138 patients with differentiated TMC confirmed by surgical and pathological findings from January 2007 to December 2013 were reviewed, and were comparatively analyzed with the data of 29 patients with benign thyroid nodules who during the same period of time underwent surgery with the suspicion of thyroid cancer. Results: Of the 138 TMC patients, 131 cases were papillary TMC, 5 cases were follicular TMC, and 2 cases were mixed TMC; 49 cases were complicated with nodular goiter, 5 cases with nodular goiter and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, 7 cases with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and 2 cases with hyperthyroidism. In TMC patients, the malignancy diagnostic rate by TI-RADS classification, and the incidence of gravel-like calcification and malignancy diagnostic rate by contrast-enhanced ultrasound were all significantly higher than those that in BTN patients (all P<0.05). All the TMC patients underwent intraoperative rapid pathological assessment, 84 cases underwent ipsilateral thyroidectomy, 46 cases underwent ipsilateral thyroidectomy plus contralateral partial thyroidectomy, 5 cases underwent bilateral total thyroidectomy, and 3 cases underwent ipsilateral thyroidectomy plus contralateral subtotal thyroidectomy; 85 cases received central lymph node dissection and 3 cases had additional ipsilateral functional neck dissection. All the TMC patients were prescribed lifelong thyroxine therapy after surgery. Conclusion: High-resolution ultrasound combined with TI-RADS or contrast-enhanced ultrasound can improve the detection rate of TMC. Well-differentiated papillary thyroid cancer and high calcification rate is frequently seen in TMC, and ipsilateral thyroidectomy plus isthmectomy with simultaneous central cervical lymph node dissection is the major surgical procedure for TMC.

Objective: To investigate the application value of ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted 8-gauge Mammotome biopsy system (UVMS) in diagnosis and treatment of breast masses. Methods: The clinical data of 1 157 patients with breast masses (a total of 3 702 lesions) undergoing UVMS treatment from January 2012 to December 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: All lesions were removed by UVMS. Among the 1 157 patients, 888 cases (76.75%) had no palpable mass, 831 cases (71.82%) had multiple lesions, and 245 cases (21.18%) had bilateral lesions. The average longitudinal diameter of the lesions was 11.2 (3–35) mm, the average operative time was 15 (3–90) min, the average blood loss was 8 (1–40) mL, and the length of incision ranged from 3 to 5 mm. The majority of the specimens (99.57%) were pathologically diagnosed to be benign lesions, in which fibroadenoma was the dominant one (64.61%). After operation, hematoma occurred in 53 cases, subcutaneous ecchymosis occurred in 26 cases, bloody nipple discharge in 2 cases, and no other severe complications were observed. Conclusion: The application of UVMS for removal of breast masses is simple, safe and minimally invasive, and is especially suitable for multiple and impalpable masses, but the indications should be strictly controlled.

Objective: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of hypoxia inducible factors 1α (HIF-1α) and glucose transporter 1 (Glut-1) in basal-like breast carcinoma (BLBC). Methods: The protein expressions of HIF-1α and Glut-1 in 95 specimens of BLBC and their adjacent breast tissue, and 708 samples of non-BLBC tissue were detected by immunohistochemical staining, and their relations with the clinicopathologic factors of BLBC were analyzed. Results: The positive expression rate of either HIF-1α or Glut-1 protein in BLBC tissue was significantly higher than that in adjacent breast tissue and non-BLBC tissue (all P<0.05), and both HIF-1α and Glut-1 protein expressions were associated with lymph node metastasis and clinical stage of BLBC (all P<0.05); there was a significantly positive correlation between HIF-1α and Glut-1 expression in BLBC tissue (r=0.368, P<0.05). Conclusion: HIF-1α and Glut-1 synchronously overexpress in BLBC tissue, which may co-participate in the occurrence and development of BLBC, and can be potentially used as a prognostic index for BLBC patients.