Charting a course through the CEAs: diagnosis and management of medullary thyroid cancer. (29th June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rowe, Christopher W.; Bendinelli, Cino; McGrath, Shaun
• Is Part Of: Clinical endocrinology. Volume 85:Number 3(2016)
• Page Start: 340
• Page End: 343
• Publication Date: 2016-06-29
• Subjects: Endocrinology -- Periodicals; 616.4005
• DOI: 10.1111/cen.13114
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0300-0664

Abstract

Summary: Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is an uncommon thyroid cancer that requires a high index of suspicion to facilitate diagnosis of early‐stage disease amenable to surgical cure. The challenges of diagnosis, as well as management in the setting of persistent disease, are explored in the context of a case presenting with the incidental finding of elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and an 18 F‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ( 18 F‐FDG‐PET)‐positive thyroid incidentaloma detected following treatment of colorectal cancer. Strategies to individualize prognosis, and emerging PET‐based imaging modalities, particularly the potential role of 18 F‐DOPA‐PET in staging, are reviewed.