Thyroid Carcinoma: A Review for 25 Years of Environmental Risk Factors Studies

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Increasing awareness of thyroid cancer-related environmental risk factors is considered an essential tool for cancer prevention through risk prevention/management. Various studies have identified correlations between environmental pollutants and thyroid cancer incidence rates, and others have proposed mechanisms for thyroid cancer development. This review seeks to consolidate the known environmental risk factors contributing to thyroid carcinoma to ensure that future research endeavors may identify key focus areas. These factors have been established as contributors to the development of thyroid carcinoma and thus require further investigation to establish mechanisms by which they act and influence thyroid pathology. Identifying pathophysiology involving these environmental risk factors can allow more rapid development of hazard reduction plans, exposure remedies, and medical treatments to prevent and perhaps even reverse disease course. ABSTRACT: Environmental factors are established contributors to thyroid carcinomas. Due to their known ability to cause cancer, exposure to several organic and inorganic chemical toxicants and radiation from nuclear weapons, fallout, or medical radiation poses a threat to global public health. Halogenated substances like organochlorines and pesticides can interfere with thyroid function. Like phthalates and bisphenolates, polychlorinated biphenyls and their metabolites, along with polybrominated diethyl ethers, impact thyroid hormones biosynthesis, transport, binding to target organs, and impair thyroid function. A deeper understanding of environmental exposure is crucial for managing and preventing thyroid cancer. This review aims to investigate the relationship between environmental factors and the development of thyroid cancer.