title: Diagnostic and therapeutic aspects in medullary thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare and particularly aggressive type of thyroid cancer with several distinctive features that distinguish its management from other thyroid cancers. Since MTC was first recognised as a distinct tumour in 1959, it became clear that MTC is more difficult to cure than differentiated thyroid cancer and has higher rates of recurrence and mortality, but it is usually a slow growing tumor compared with other malignancies. In addition, unlike differentiated thyroid cancer, there is no known effective systemic therapy for MTC.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Propedeutic Surgery, University of Athens, School of Medicine, Laiko General Hospital, Greece.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Safioleas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stamatakos
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karampali
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rompoti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mouzopoulos
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lygidakis
mesh_terms: D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D013965:Thyroidectomy