To summarize the autophagy and its research progress in thyroid cancer.In combination with available literatures published in recent years involving the relationship between autophagy and thyroid cancer,the characteristics of autophagy,the role in thyroid cancer were reviewed.The changes of autophagy level will directly or indirectly participate in the pathogenesis and progression of thyroid cancer.Reagents regulating autophagy will have broad prospect of application in thyroid cancer therapy.The autophagy in the thyroid cancer is still poorly understood,and to clarify the molecular mechanism of autophagy and kill thyroid cancer cells by reasonable regulation of autophagy still needs more further studies.