Thyroid carcinoma is closely related to environmental factors. Gene mutations and molecular biological changes of gland tissue caused by environmental changes are important factors inducing thyroid carcinoma. Although the molecular mechanism of thyroid carcinoma has not been fully elucidated, increasingly specific genetic changes and molecular markers for thyroid carcinoma have been discovered with the development of molecular biology techniques. This article reviews the recent progresses on the etiology, specific molecular markers, diagnosis and targeted therapies of thyroid carcinoma, so as to provide theoretical support for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of thyroid carcinoma.