Medullary thyroid carcinoma: 20 years experience

Background: Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare malignant tumor that arise from C cells. Surgical treatment and its results are controversial, so we decided to study it. Aim: To describe clinically MTC, treatment and outcomes in the long term. Material and Method: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients with MTC operated in our hospital between the years 1987 and 2007. We analyzed the clinical characteristics, treatment, morbidity and long-term follow up. Results: There were 24 patients operated with a mean age of 46.1 ± 16.6 years. The main form of presentation was painless increased cervical volume (56.2%). In 15% this pathology was part of a MEN 2b. All of them have had a total thyroidectomy, which was extended in 50% of cases. The 35.2% were multifocal, 29.4% bilateral and 62.5% had metastatic lymph node involvement. Five patients remained higher calcitonin levels in the postoperative period and 9 patients recurred clinically on average 4.5 years after surgery. The presence of persistent disease was significantly associated with hereditary MTC (p = 0.0088) and the clinical recurrence was significantly determined by the presence of not expanded total thyroidectomy (p = 0.0196). The probability of surviving more than 19 years was 66.6% (95% CI = 0.24 to 0.89). Conclusions: The MTC is a rare tumour and treatment of choice is surgery. The persistent disease is associated with hereditary MTC form, and the clinical recurrence is associated with not expanded total thyroidectomy. We recommend total thyroidectomy with central voiding and radical modified jugular dissection