title: Prognostic factors for sporadic medullary thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) originates from the thyroid parafollicular cells and accounts for 3% to 10% of all thyroid malignancies. Approximately 84% of cases are sporadic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of treatment for sporadic medullary thyroid carcinoma (SMTC) and define the prognostic factors for overall survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of 32 SMTC patients treated at Ankara Oncology Education and Research Hospital between September 1993 and April 2003 were retrospectively evaluated. The effects of age, gender, tumor localization, extent of the primary surgical resection, tumor size, capsule invasion, lymph node metastasis, extranodal extension, tumor stage, local recurrence, and distant metastasis on the overall survival rate were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 32 patients (19 females, 13 males) with a median age of 45 years (21-76 years). Altogether, 22 patients had undergone complete resection and 10 patients incomplete resection. The median follow-up was 48 months (9-111 months), and the overall 5-year survival rate was 51%. Based on the univariate analysis, the extent of primary surgical resection, pathologic tumor size, capsule invasion, lymph node invasion, extranodal extension, tumor stage, local recurrence, and distant metastasis were factors that significantly affected survival. In the multivariate analysis, however, only the extent of the primary surgical resection, capsule invasion, and distant metastasis were found to be statistically significant factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The extent of the primary surgical resection significantly influences the survival of patients with SMTC. Capsule invasion and distant metastasis were additional factors affecting the prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Ankara Oncology Education and Research Hospital, Demetevler, Ankara, TR-06200, Turkey. kgulben@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Kaptan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gülben
authors.forename: Uğur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Berberoğlu
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boyabatli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy