Abstract
Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a neuroendocrine-type thyroid cancer. It originates from the parafollicular C-cells of the thyroid. MTC is uncommon in the general population with a prevalence of 1–2%. It can be either associated with a genetic syndrome from germline mutations in the RET proto-oncogene, or it can be sporadic. The primary treatment for MTC when localized to the neck is surgical with total thyroidectomy with or without lymph node dissection. Patients are monitored post-surgical resection with calcitonin and CEA levels which serve as tumor markers for recurrence and prognosis. MTC can preferentially metastasize to the liver, lungs, and bones. The combination of MRI whole body, bone scintigraphy, CT chest and neck, and MRI of the abdomen is the initial recommended imaging for distant metastatic MTC. Though incurable, metastatic MTC is manageable with targeted therapy including vandetanib, cabozantinib, selpercatinib, and pralsetinib.
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Shooliz, P.P.P., Bernet, V. (2022). Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma. In: Davies, T.F. (eds) A Case-Based Guide to Clinical Endocrinology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84367-0_16
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