title: Mild to moderate increase of serum calcitonin levels only in presence of large medullary thyroid cancer deposits.
abstract: Many open questions remain to be elucidated about the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). The most intriguing concerns the outcome of MTC patients after surgery. Great importance is usually given to serum calcitonin (Ct) and carcinoembryonic (CEA) levels. It is commonly believed that the higher are the levels of these tumor markers and their kinetics (double time and velocity of markers levels) the worst is the prognosis. However, this is not the rule, as there are huge MTC metastatic deposits characterized by low serum Ct and CEA levels, and this condition is not closely related to the outcome of the disease during post-surgical follow-up. A series is reported here of patients who have these characteristics, as well as a description of their prognosis and clinical outcome.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Chirurgica 2, University School of Padova, Padova University, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pelizzo
authors.affiliation: Clinica Chirurgica 2, University School of Padova, Padova University, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Torresan
authors.affiliation: Clinica Chirurgica 2, University School of Padova, Padova University, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Da Roit
authors.affiliation: Clinica Chirurgica 2, University School of Padova, Padova University, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Merante Boschin
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Rovigo, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chondrogiannis
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Rovigo, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rampin
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Colletti
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Royal Liverpool Hospitals, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vinjamury
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics Department, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Nottingham University, UK.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Perkins
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Rovigo, Italy. Electronic address: domenico.rubello@libero.it.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rubello
mesh_terms: D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006934:Hypercalcemia / Q000209:etiology*; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018813:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2a / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D010235:Paraganglioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics; D010418:Pentagastrin; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret / Q000235:genetics; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002116:Calcitonin; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; C099282:RET protein, human; D010418:Pentagastrin
keywords: Cáncer medular de tiroides; Enormes masas tumorales; Large tumor masses; MTC; Marcadores séricos; Medullary thyroid cancer; Serum calcitonin and CEA; Serum markers; Suero Ct y CEA