What percentage of medullary thyroid cancer is hereditary?
Twenty-five percent of Medullary Thyroid Cancer (MTC) cases are hereditary. The ideal age for prophylactic thyroidectomy is based upon the specific RET mutation involved.
Does medullary thyroid cancer run in families?
The term medullary describes the type of cells in the thyroid gland affected by the cancer. The majority of patients with medullary thyroid cancer (approximately 80%) have no family history of the condition; the remaining 20% of patients inherit the condition from a parent (thus the disease is ‘familial’).
Is medullary thyroid cancer fast growing?
Medullary thyroid cancer can grow slowly for years and has time for the medullary thyroid cancer to spread into the lymph nodes which are doing their job of capturing the cancerous cells before they can spread further.
Is medullary thyroid cancer undifferentiated?
It is also known as undifferentiated thyroid cancer because the cells do not look or behave like typical thyroid cells. The cause of anaplastic thyroid cancer is unknown, however, in some cases it arises in the setting of differentiated thyroid cancers such as papillary or follicular thyroid cancers.
What is the primary treatment for a medullary thyroid cancer?
The primary treatment for MTC is extensive and curative surgical resection. Treatment options for patients with recurrent or residual MTC include observation and active surveillance, surgical resection, EBRT, other directed local therapies (such as RFA, cryoablation, embolization), and systemic therapies.
Can medullary thyroid cancer be cured?
Though it isn’t curable once it has metastasized, palliative treatments such as targeted chemotherapy and radiation can slow the cancer’s growth and improve quality of life. Of course, everyone’s cancer and situation is unique.
Who is most likely to get thyroid cancer?
Thyroid cancer can occur at any age, but the risk peaks earlier for women (who are most often in their 40s or 50s when diagnosed) than for men (who are usually in their 60s or 70s).
How does medullary thyroid cancer affect the body?
Although rare among thyroid cancers, medullary thyroid tumors may be tender to the touch and can even be painful either where they originated in the thyroid or where they spread to in the lymph nodes of the neck. But, almost all cancers that spread to the neck lymph nodes do not produce any noticeable discomfort.
What does medullary thyroid cancer look like on ultrasound?
Both MTC and PTC have the common ultrasound characteristic of malignant nodules, including ill-defined margin, hypoechoic echogenicity, microcalcifications, and cervical lymph node abnormalities.