title: [Prognostic factors of medullary thyroid carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate prognostic factors of medullary thyroid carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  By using univariate analysis and multivariate analysis, the prognostic factors were investigated in 102 patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma treated at this hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall survival rates of 5-year, 10-year and 15-year were 87.4%, 74.6% and 54.2% respectively by Kaplan-Meier method analysis. In univariate analysis, gender, age, bilateral thyroid lobe tumors, tumor size > 4 cm, invasion of thyroid capsule, distant metastasis, and non-radical tumor resection were significant poor prognostic factors. In multivariate analysis, tumor size > 4 cm (chi(2) = 7.43, P = 0.0035), distant metastasis (chi(2) = 23.50, P = 0.0000), and non-radical tumor resection (chi(2) = 25.90, P = 0.0000) remained as independent prognostic factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tumor size > 4 cm, distant metastasis, and non-radical tumor resection are the independent predictors of patients survival. Early diagnosis and early therapy can improve significantly the prognosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China. zhangq6@mail.sysu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chuan-sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhu-ming
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Zong-yuan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: An-kui
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Fei-yun
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult