title: Disseminated calcitonin-poor medullary thyroid carcinoma in a patient with calcitonin-rich primary tumor.
abstract: A multiple endocrine neoplasia type Ia patient who initially had a calcitonin-rich medullary thyroid carcinoma followed an indolent clinical course for 7 years after surgical resection. Sudden rapid dissemination of tumor led to death 2 years later. At autopsy, calcitonin immunostaining of tumor was diffusely negative, with slight positivity in less than 5% of cells. The loss of a marker of differentiation in association with the marked change in the clinical course suggests the development within the well-differentiated tumor of a poorly differentiated, biologically aggressive population of tumor cells.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ruppert
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Eggleston
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: deBustros
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Baylin
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D000328:Adult; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D009377:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia / Q000276:immunology; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000276:immunology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D002116:Calcitonin