A deficient vitamin D status has been associated with various diseases but its correlation with different types of cancer remains of interest. Thyroid cancer is the most frequent endocrine malignancy and despite the fact that differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) has an excellent survival rate (>90% 10-year survival), persistent and recurrent disease is still an issue nowadays. Epidemiological studies confirmed lower levels of vitamin D in patients with DTC and correlation of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] status with clinicopathologic features and poor prognosis, being considered a biomarker for aggressiveness.Vitamin D, through it active form 1α,25-dihydoxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] and its receptor (VDR) exerts genetic changes to both healthy and neoplastic cells thus controlling their proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Also, vitamin D binding protein (DBP) has been recently discovered to have many different biological functions. This review is an update on molecular mechanisms of vitamin D signaling and its association with thyroid cancer prevention, treatment and prognosis.

Thyroid cancer is the most frequent endocrine cancer representing 1-1.5% of all cancers. Approximately 90% of these are differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTC) with a favorable prognosis and cure rate. DTC has recently witnessed an increase in incidence with a relatively stable mortality rate, mostly due to intensive screening. Despite being considered indolent and the 10-year survival rate being above 90%, local or distant recurrence can be observed in up to 20% of cases. Mutations in BRAF, RET, RAS, NTRK1, PAX8-PPARG are commonly found in DTC but studies show that genetic alterations with apparently no correlation to DTC might improve or aggravate prognosis.
Vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms is consider to be one of these factors, due to the fact that it exerts immunological and antineoplastic functions throught its antiproliferative and prodifferentiating actions. FokI gene polymorphism has been associated with later stage and negative prognosis in different studies.
Also, polymorphisms of genes involved in folate metabolism (MTHFR, MTR, RFC1) may be incriminated in carcinogenesis, folate being an extremely important factor in DNA synthesis.
Studies suggest that through correction and avoidance of incriminated neoplastic agents, thyroid cancer incidence, evolution and prognosis might improve significantly. For this to be possible we need to be aware of the molecular pathways these environmental factors use to exert their carcinogenic effects.

The combination of posterior femoral head dislocation with ipsilateral intertrochanteric fracture is an extremely rare occurrence, therefore, few reports exist. The posterior femoral head dislocation is an injury most common encountered in road traffic accident (dash-board) and may associate various types of acetabular, femoral head or femoral neck fractures[1-3] but almost never an intertrochanteric fracture. [...]