title: Ultrasound features of medullary thyroid carcinoma correlate with cancer aggressiveness: a retrospective multicenter study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Poor prognosis of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) with suspicious ultrasound (US) features has been reported. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between preoperative US presentation and aggressiveness features of MTC. Also, US features of MTC were compared with those previously reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study group comprised 134 MTC from nine different centers. Based on US presentation the nodules were stratified in "at risk for malignancy" (m-MTC) or "probably benign" (b-MTC) lesions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty nine (66.4%) m-MTC and 45 (33.6%) b-MTC were found. Metastatic lymph nodes (p = 0.0001) and extrathyroid invasiveness (p < 0.0001) were more frequent in m-MTC. There was statistically significant correlation (p = 0.0002) between advanced TNM stage and m-MTC with an Odds Ratio 5.5 (95% CI 2.1-14.4). Mean postsurgical calcitonin values were 224 ± 64 pg/ml in m-MTC and 51 ± 21 in b-MTC (p = 0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that sonographically suspicious MTC is frequently associated with features of aggressiveness, suggesting that careful preoperative US of MTC patients may better plan their surgical approach.
authors.forename: Pierpaolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Trimboli
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giovanella
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valabrega
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andrioli
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baldelli
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cremonini
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guidobaldi
authors.forename: Agnese
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barnabei
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rota
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paoloni
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rizza
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fattorini
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Latini
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Falasca
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Orlandi
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crescenzi
authors.forename: Ferdinando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Ambrosio
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cantisani
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Romanelli
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Negro
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Saggiorato
authors.forename: Marialuisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Appetecchia
mesh_terms: D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D047368:Tumor Burden; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D002116:Calcitonin