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Thyroid Cancer pp 171–187Cite as

Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma

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Part of the book series: Endocrine Updates ((ENDO,volume 32))

Abstract

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a malignancy that arises from the calcitonin-producing parafollicular cells of the thyroid gland. MTC is a rare type of thyroid cancer, constituting only 5–10% of cases. Of nearly 54,000 cases of thyroid cancer reported to The US National Cancer Base from 1985 to 1995, 2,000 are MTC. Seventy-five percent of MTC cases are sporadic, while the remaining are associated with inherited germ-line mutations in the RET (rearranged during transfection) proto-oncogene. MTC can also coexist with other neoplasia, constituting the MEN-2A and MEN-2B syndromes; these interesting familial syndromes will be discussed in further detail in other sections of this chapter. Following anaplastic thyroid cancer, MTC has the second worst prognosis of all thyroid cancers; average 10-year survival is 50–80%, but this rate varies greatly based on age and TNM stage at the time of diagnosis. Unfortunately, half of all MTC patients present with metastases; 10-year survival in these patients is only 20%. Like other thyroid cancers, MTC occurs more frequently in women, with a female to male ratio of two to one.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Nicole M. Tyer

  2. Divisions of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Carcinoid and Neuroendocrine Tumor Center Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA

    Run Yu

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  1. Department of Medicine, The James R. Klinenberg M.D. Chair in Me, Professor and Chairman,, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, 90048, California, USA

    Glenn D. Braunstein

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Tyer, N.M., Yu, R. (2012). Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma. In: Braunstein, G. (eds) Thyroid Cancer. Endocrine Updates, vol 32. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0875-8_9

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  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-0874-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-0875-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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