follicular carcinoma of thyroid

follicular carcinoma of thyroid

A well-differentiated carcinoma arising in the thyroid follicular cells, which is divided into:
• Minimally-invasive follicular carcinoma of thyroid (FCT)
This is an encapsulated neoplasm with partial- or complete-capsular invasion and an excellent prognosis (unless there is vascular invasion, in which case, the more foci of vascular invasion identified, the worse the prognosis. 4 foci indicates a bad prognosis for the patient; 5 is worse).
• Widely-invasive FCT
A neoplasm which is not contained within a nodule, characterised by cellular atypia and mitoses, which invades thyroid and extra-thyroidal tissue, is recognised surgically and clinically as cancer, and usually has a solid growth pattern. Prognosis is poor with a high mortality rate.