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Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma

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Evidence-Based Endocrine Surgery

Abstract

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) which originates from the parafollicular C cells of the thyroid gland belongs to the group of neuroendocrine tumours, unrelated to the majority of thyroid tumours of follicular cell origin. It was first described as a separate entity with the term ‘medullary’ by Hazard and colleagues in 1959 as a ‘solid, non-follicular histologic pattern, the presence of amyloid in the stroma and a high incidence of lymph node metastasis’ [1]. The C cells are neuroectodermal in origin and are concentrated in the junction of upper and middle third of the thyroid lobes. They secrete calcitonin and other substances, including carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), adrenocortical stimulating hormone (ACTH), histaminases, serotonin and chromogranin [2, 3]. The important secretory products are calcitonin and CEA for use as diagnostic and prognostic tumour markers and their serum concentrations are directly related to the C-cell mass. The discovery of a genetic basis with a strong genotype–phenotype link has revolutionised the management of familial forms of medullary thyroid carcinoma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrine Surgery, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India

    Siddhartha Chakravarthy & Paul Mazhuvanchary Jacob

Authors
  1. Siddhartha Chakravarthy
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  2. Paul Mazhuvanchary Jacob
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Correspondence to Paul Mazhuvanchary Jacob .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Endocrine Surgery, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore

    Rajeev Parameswaran

  2. Department of Endocrine Surgery, SGPGI Hospital, Lucknow, India

    Amit Agarwal

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Chakravarthy, S., Jacob, P.M. (2018). Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma. In: Parameswaran, R., Agarwal, A. (eds) Evidence-Based Endocrine Surgery. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1124-5_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1124-5_12

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