Autophagy, a novel target for chemotherapeutic intervention of thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancers with unsatisfactory curative effect nowadays are the most common malignant tumors of the endocrine system. Apoptosis evasion, a hallmark of cancer, has driven the search of stimulating novel cell death way in cancer therapy. This review aims to explore the relationship between autophagy and thyroid cancer, especially the chemotherapy agents which are based on autophagy in treating thyroid cancers. A computerized literature search of MEDLINE was performed using the following search terms: autophagy and thyroid cancer. Recent studies have found that several chemotherapeutic agents and knockdown of specific microRNA may contribute to autophagic tumor cell death in most thyroid cancer types. Stimulating autophagy may be an effective alternative treatment to most types of thyroid cancer.