Histologically, these tumors are usually squamous cell carcinoma, but occasionally may be adenocarcinoma,
melanoma, or Anaplastic tumors.
The four main types are papillary thyroid cancer, follicular thyroid cancer,
medullary thyroid cancer, and Anaplastic thyroid cancer.
Anaplastic thyroid cancer:
Anaplastic thyroid cancer is a rare and rapidly growing cancer that is very difficult to treat.
Histology may be Anaplastic and give no help, although
improvements in investigative technology are helping to narrow the differential diagnosis(see below).
Duff also learned she tested positive for the Anaplastic lymphoma kinase(ALK)
gene mutation, which is present in only 2 to 7 percent of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
If you have medullary thyroid cancer or Anaplastic thyroid cancer then it is unlikely
you will receive radioactive iodine treatment, as these types of thyroid cancer rarely respond to it.