Surgical therapy of medullary thyroid carcinoma

This study describes the findings of a retrospective study of 57 medullary thyroid cancer patients observed at the main Sicilian centres for endocrine surgery. Six of these patients were observed locally in order to add a further dimension to the discussion of surgical therapies for medullary thyroid carcinoma. A review of the literature on sporadic forms of medullary thyroid carcinoma and hereditary neoplastic syndromes is followed by presentation of the authors' series. Diagnostic protocols, surgical therapies and pathological observations are discussed. Particular attention is paid to patterns of metastases of medullary thyroid carcinoma and to the differing opinions regarding the extent of lymph-node dissection required and the treatment of recurrent disease. Total extracapsular thyroidectomy with lymph-node dissection is identified as the gold standard of surgical therapies for this form of cancer.     

Surgical management of medullary thyroid carcinoma

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a malignant tumor of the parafollicular C cells of the thyroid and comprises only 1–2% of all thyroid cancer cases. Unlike most differentiated thyroid cancer, MTC is associated with a mean survival of 8.6 years and accounts for a disproportionate 8.6% of thyroid cancer deaths. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for loco-regional disease and the only current means of cure for MTC. The relatively low incidence of MTC has made the comprehensive study of this disease difficult and most research to date has been based largely on single institution, retrospective, and/or non-randomized studies. Despite various professional organizations such as the American Thyroid Association establishing guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with MTC, there is still significant variation in actual practice patterns with regard to the extent of surgery, as well as the management of persistent or recurrent disease. The purpose of this review is to discuss the latest updates in the surgical treatment of MTC, as well as the management of locally advanced, recurrent, and metastatic disease based on the most recent data and expert consensus guidelines.     

甲状腺癌：甲状腺髓样癌的临床病理特点及手术治疗策略

甲状腺髓样癌（medullary thyroid carcinoma，MTC）是甲状腺癌中少见的病理类型，约占3％～10％，它是来源于滤泡旁细胞（或称C细胞，降钙素分泌细胞）的恶性肿瘤。C细胞属神经内分泌细胞，与甲状腺滤泡上皮细胞无关，病理学家将MTC归为神经内分泌系统肿瘤。即APUD（amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation）肿瘤。C细胞具有很强的生物学活性，可以合成并分泌降钙素、血清素、前列腺素、促肾上腺皮质激素、组织胺、血管活性肽等活性物质，还可分泌癌胚抗原（CEA）。     

甲状腺髓样癌的临床病理特点及手术治疗策略

甲状腺髓样癌(medullarythyroidcarcinoma,MTC)是甲状腺癌中少见的病理类型,约占3%～10%,它是来源于滤泡旁细胞(或称C细胞,降钙素分泌细胞)的恶性肿瘤。C细胞属神经内分泌细胞,与甲状腺滤泡上皮细胞无关,病理学家将MTC归为神经内分泌系统肿瘤,即APUD(amineprecursoruptakeanddecar boxylation)肿瘤。C细胞具有很强的生物学活性,可以合成并分泌降钙素、血清素、前列腺素、促肾上腺皮质激素、组织胺、血管活性肽等活性物质,还可分泌癌胚抗原(CEA)。一、MTC的病理学特征及临床分型MTC常呈实体状,无明显包膜,可表现为多中心性生长。细…     

甲状腺髓样癌的诊断与治疗

甲状腺髓样癌(MTC)来源于滤泡旁C细胞,占甲状腺癌的5%～10%,其中25%具有遗传性.MTC能够较早的出现淋巴结及远处转移,故早期诊断及治疗尤为重要.本文描述了MTC实验室及影像学等方面的主要表现,并对最新的治疗手段及预防性措施进行了阐述.     

Surgical approach to early familial medullary carcinoma of the thyroid gland

The application of a radioimmunoassay for human calcitonin to a high risk family group has predicted the diagnosis of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid in twelve persons. With the calcium infusion test, elevated levels of calcitonin have been measured in the serum and urine in these patients with medullary carcinoma. In eleven, the tumors were clinically occult.     

遗传性甲状腺髓样癌的基因学基础及诊断治疗

甲状腺髓样癌是一种起源于甲状腺滤泡旁细胞或C细胞的恶性肿瘤,与起源于甲状腺滤泡细胞的其他甲状腺恶性肿瘤有显著的区别.据美国国家癌症数据库(national cancer data base,NCBD)[1]的统计甲状腺髓样癌占甲状腺恶性肿瘤的4%,其中遗传性甲状腺髓样癌占甲状腺髓样癌的75%[2],因此甲状腺髓样癌中大多数为遗传性.遗传性甲状腺髓样癌常有多发性内分泌腺瘤病2型(multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2,MEN2)的主要临床表现,也是造成NEN2患者死亡的主要原因.     

Surgical treatment of differentiated thyroid carcinoma

Being the excellent prognosis, the extension of the thyroidectomy in the surgical management of differentiated thyroid carcinomas is still controversial: some authors recommend total thyroidectomy for all patients, others suggest a conservative approach, that guarantee the same good prognosis but is associated with fewer complications. Even the cervical lymph node dissection is discussed, both regarding to the indications and the extension. The authors reported a retrospective review of their experience of the last 10 years on 75 patients operated for differentiated thyroid cancer, 61 for papillary carcinoma and 14 for follicular carcinoma; 18 of them were men and 57 females, with a mean age of 48.2 years. We performed a total of 85 operations: 60 total thyroidectomy, 15 lobus-isthmusectomies and 10 completion thyroidectomy. Lymphadenectomy was performed in 17 patients with clinically or intraoperative evidence of enlarged lymph nodes. There was no surgical mortality. Permanent hypoparathyroidism occurred in 5 patients (5.8%) and permanent accidental laryngeal recurrent nerve injury, both monolateral, occurred in 2 cases (2.35%). The mean follow up was 53 months (4.5 years): 71 patients are still alive (94.7%), 68 of them disease free (90.6%) and 3 with recurrent disease (4%). Our results suggest that total thyroidectomy still represent the choice procedure for the treatment of differentiated carcinomas and that modified radical neck dissection is necessary in these patients with pre or intraoperative evidence of palpable lymph nodes. Some patients go well even undergoing more conservative surgery (lobectomy) but most problem is the impossibility to preoperatively identify these patients.     

甲状腺乳头状癌的外科治疗

目的 探讨甲状腺乳头状癌的规范治疗方法.方法 回顾性分析我院2007年1月至2010年12月期间手术的58例甲状腺乳头状癌患者资料.所有患者均经病理诊断,先接受手术治疗,手术包括甲状腺的切除及功能性颈清扫术,术后采取辅助治疗.结果 58例患者中无死亡病例;甲状旁腺功能下降3例,2例为暂时性,1例为永久性;胸导管损伤1例,经非手术治疗痊愈;二次手术5例.随访期内局部复发2例,均再次手术治疗.结论 甲状腺乳头状癌的发病率逐年升高,手术是主要治疗手段,术后需要辅以综合治疗,预后良好.     

分化性甲状腺癌的外科治疗

分化性甲状腺癌（包括乳头状癌、滤泡样癌、Hürthle细胞癌）约占甲状腺癌的90%。该类甲状腺癌肿有恶性程度低、发病缓慢、病程长的临床特点,通过适当的治疗,与其他甲状腺肿瘤相比．其治疗效果好,病人生存期长。所以,对分化性甲状腺癌病人的治疗可根据其所处的不同病期采取不同的手术方式．目的是在最大程度根治肿瘤的基础上,尽可能保留病人的甲状腺功能,提高其生存质量,     

Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of medullary thyroid carcinoma

Medullary thyroid carcinoma accounts for 5 to 10 per cent of all thyroid malignancies and may occur in a familial or a sporadic pattern. This article reviews the authors' experience with 200 patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma and outlines the recent advances made in our understanding of the biochemical properties of these cancer cells and the relationship of different tumor markers to prognosis.     

Reoperation in the treatment of asymptomatic metastasizing medullary thyroid carcinoma

Eleven patients who continued to have elevated calcitonin (CT) levels after thyroidectomy and central node dissection for medullary carcinoma of the thyroid gland (MCT) were subjected to additional surgery. Metastatic MCT was found in the excised tissue from each patient. Normalization of CT values was obtained in four patients who had a few microscopic, unilateral metastases. In these patients an average of 13 normal lymph nodes were excised at reoperation for each metastasis. The results of the reoperative series demonstrate that it is possible, with meticulous neck dissection, to normalize CT levels in patients with microscopic metastases from MCT. Metastases that can be seen or palpated are always associated with microscopic lymph node metastases. Removal of such microscopic metastases is probably the key to achieving normal postoperative CT levels.