Information in this section pertains to all global PEN® partners except where country flags are
visible. Click on the flag(s) for country-specific information. If a country flag is not listed, there is
no information specific to that country.
Disease Etiology
Although the etiology of many cases of thyroid cancer is not well understood, irradiation of the neck area in childhood and exposure to
ionizing radiation caused by nuclear fallout (such as Chernobyl) have been linked to an increased incidence of this type of cancer (1). It has also been found that there are higher rates of follicular and anaplastic cancer in low iodine regions. Additionally, research has suggested that genetic abnormalities may play an important role in the