Abstract.
Background and aims: The surgical strategy in small sporadic C-cell carcinomas of the thyroid that are incidentally diagnosed after goiter resection for benign disease is controversial. It remains unclear whether a completion thyroidectomy should be performed in every case. Patients and methods: We present nine patients who were operated on between October 1992 and October 1997 in whom an unexpected, small sporadic C-cell carcinoma (seven with pT1, two with pT2) was found in the postoperative histology. Results: All patients were calcitonin negative and there were no signs of the disease being inherited (no familial history, negative RET proto-oncogene). No patient underwent a completion thyroidectomy. All patients had a follow-up with pentagastrin-stimulated calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) 3 months, 6 months and annually after the operation. No patient became calcitonin positive or showed any other signs of tumor recurrence after a follow-up period of 2–7 years. Conclusion: A completion thyroidectomy is not necessary in small sporadic C-cell carcinoma that is incidentally diagnosed after resection for benign disease if there is no sign of familial cancer and if calcitonin is negative. A close follow-up is necessary.
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Received in revised form: 28 June 2000
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Cupisti, K., Simon, D., Wolf, A. et al. Surgical treatment of postoperative, incidentally diagnosed small sporadic C-cell carcinomas of the thyroid. Langenbeck's Arch Surg 385, 526–530 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004230000166
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004230000166