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Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: Recent Advances Including MicroRNA Expression

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Abstract

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is an uncommon neuroendocrine tumor arising from the C cells in the thyroid and accounts for about 5 % of all thyroid cancers. MTC exhibits more aggressive behavior than follicular tumors, with the majority of cases presenting with lymph node metastasis. It is particularly common among patients carrying germline RET mutations with almost 100 % penetrance. Because activating RET mutations occur in over 90 % of hereditary and 40 % of sporadic MTC, clinical trials of several RET-targeting multikinase inhibitors (MKIs) have resulted in FDA approval of vandetanib and cabozantinib for the treatment of MTC. Nevertheless, in light of significant individual differences in tumor behavior and treatment responses, there has been a persistent need for research efforts to decipher the molecular events within RET-driven or non-RET-driven tumors. Recently, the gene regulatory roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in MTC have been studied extensively. Multiple miRNA deregulations have been discovered in MTC with potential prognostic and therapeutic implications. This review provides an overview of the basic pathology of MTC and an update on recent investigational progress.

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Acknowledgments

Dr. Ying-Hsia Chu received a grant from the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health to study non-coding RNAs in MTC.

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  1. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Office K4/436 CSC-8550, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53792-8550, USA

    Ying-Hsia Chu & Ricardo V. Lloyd

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Chu, YH., Lloyd, R.V. Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: Recent Advances Including MicroRNA Expression. Endocr Pathol 27, 312–324 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12022-016-9449-0

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