title: Medullary thyroid cancer: the role of radiotherapy in local control.
abstract: Fifty-one patients were treated with radiotherapy for loco-regional medullary thyroid cancer between 1960-1992. The actuarial overall survival at 5, 10 and 20 years was 69%, 52% and 30%, respectively. Patients were classified according to clinical stage (node-positive or -negative), post-operative histological residual disease status (none, microscopic or macroscopic) and dose of radiotherapy received. By univariate analysis, loco-regional recurrence-free survival was significantly longer for node-negative patients (P = 0.03). Patients who received at least 60 Gy over 6 weeks showed a trend towards improved local control (P = 0.23). The only significant variable by multivariate analysis for local recurrence-free survival was post-operative residual disease status (P=0.0005). The local control rate at 5 years was 100% for patients with no residual disease, 65% for those with microscopic tumour, and 24% for those with macroscopic residual disease. We conclude that there is a valuable role for radiotherapy in the management of patients with residual microscopic or macroscopic disease following surgery, as well as in those with inoperable disease.
authors.affiliation: Thyroid Unit, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Fife
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bower
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Harmer
mesh_terms: D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome