title: Sporadic hypercalcitoninemia: clinical and therapeutic consequences.
abstract: 'Calcitonin screening' is not accepted as the standard of care in daily practice. The clinical and surgical consequences of 'calcitonin screening' in a series of patients with mildly elevated basal calcitonin and pentagastrin stimulated calcitonin levels are presented. 260 patients with elevated basal (>10 pg/ml) and stimulated calcitonin levels (>100 pg/ml) were enrolled in this prospective study. None of the patients was member of a known medullary thyroid carcinoma family. Thyroidectomy and bilateral central and lateral neck dissections were performed. Testing for the presence of germ-line mutations was performed in all patients. Histological and immunohistochemical findings were compared with basal and stimulated calcitonin levels. All patients were subsequently followed biochemically. C-cell hyperplasia (CCH) was found in 126 (49%) and medullary thyroid cancer was found in 134 (51%) patients. RET proto-oncogen mutations were documented in 22 (8%) patients (medullary thyroid cancer:18, CCH:4). In 56 (46%) of 122 patients, sporadic CCH was classified neoplastic ('carcinoma in situ'). Of 97 (72%; 10 with hereditary medullary thyroid cancer) had pT1 (International Union against Cancer recommendations 2002) and 33 (25%) had pT2 or pT3 and 4 (3%) pT4 tumors. Of 39 (29.1%) had lymph node metastases. 106 (79.1%; 15 (38.5%) with lymph node metastases) patients were cured. Evaluation of basal and stimulated calcitonin levels enables the prediction of medullary thyroid cancer. All patients with basal calcitonin >64 pg/ml and stimulated calcitonin >560 pg/ml have medullary thyroid cancer. Medullary thyroid cancer was documented in 20% of patients with basal calcitonin >10 pg/ml but <64 pg/ml and stimulated calcitonin >100 pg/ml but <560 pg/ml.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. christian.scheuba@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scheuba
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaserer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moritz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Drosten
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vierhapper
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bieglmayer
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Niederle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018095:Germ-Line Mutation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010418:Pentagastrin; D011446:Prospective Studies; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret / Q000235:genetics; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002116:Calcitonin; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; C099282:RET protein, human; D010418:Pentagastrin