Management of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid: a review

Abstract

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is an uncommon malignancy of neuroendocrine origin derived from the parafollicular C cells. Although infrequent, the interest in this cancer exceeds its incidence owing to its distinctive features and its characteristic association with other endocrine tumors. Although the majority of MTCs are sporadic, hereditary varieties occur in isolation or as a part of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 syndrome (MEN 2). Currently, complete surgical resection of the tumor and nodal metastases with a curative intent remains the mainstay of therapy. The role of adjuvant therapy is limited, although radiotherapy and newer targeted therapies are routinely used for metastatic disease. The lack of consensus in the available guidance regarding the most appropriate diagnostic, therapeutic and follow-up strategies has caused substantial variability in clinical practice. Therefore, this review summarizes the latest available evidence and guidelines on the management of MTC with an emphasis on diagnosis, surgical treatment and follow-up.

Correlation of pN Stage and Hypoechogenicity with Tumour Encapsulation and Vascular Invasion in Thyroid Cancer (TC): A Comprehensive Analysis and Clinical Outcomes

“…In the case of TCs with a worse prognosis and higher mortality (such as MTC), the post-treatment is more aggressive from the start and consists of a total therapeutic thyroidectomy and adjunctive pharmacotherapy (tyrosine kinase inhibitors). The thyroidectomy procedure is almost always accompanied in this case by central only or central and lateral neck dissection [ 23 ]. Therefore, we decided to exclude TCs other than well-differentiated TCs from our analysis at the end, because in their cases the strategy from the beginning is very radical.…”

Орфанні Ендокринні Захворювання: Сучасні Тенденції Хірургічного Лікування В Україні

“…Тактика проведення хірургічного лікування МК ЩЗ багато в чому залежить від її генотипу і фенотипу [38]. Назагал, повне хірургічне видалення пухлини із ЩЗ (тотальна тиреоїдектомія) та локорегіонарних метастазів є єдиним варіантом лікування як спорадичної, так і спадкової МК [39,40].…”

Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy and Safety Evaluation of Vandetanib in the Treatment of Medullary Thyroid Cancer

“…Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a neuroendocrine tumor arising from calcitonin-secreting parafollicular cells ("C-cells") originating in the neural crest [1][2][3]. MTC accounts for 2-4 % of all malignant thyroid diseases.…”