title: Medullary thyroid carcinoma: a 30-year experience at one institution in Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to review the clinical outcome and prognosis of patients with sporadic and hereditary medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) who were treated at a single tertiary hospital in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the case files of 85 patients treated from August 1982 to February 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 65 patients (76.5%) had sporadic MTC and 20 patients (23.5%) had hereditary MTC. Patients in the sporadic group were older than in the hereditary group (P < 0.001). However, the hereditary group had more tumor multiplicity (P < 0.001) and bilaterality (P < 0.001). Neither survival rate was significantly different between the sporadic and hereditary groups (P = 0.775 and P = 0.866). By multivariate analysis, distant metastasis was a significant prognostic factor for overall and progression-free survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In general, patients with MTC have favorable outcomes. Distant metastasis appears to be the strongest predictor of overall and progression-free survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Cho Rok
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sohee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Catholic Kwandong University International St. Mary's Hospital, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Haiyoung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Son
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Eunjeong
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ban
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Wook
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jandee
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Ju
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kee-Hyun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Woong Youn
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Cheong Soo
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Park
keywords: Familial medullary thyroid carcinoma; Prognosis; Survival