Medullary thyroid carcinoma: prognostic factors and treatment

Journal Article · Mon Jan 31 23:00:00 EST 1983 · Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0360-3016(83)90093-7· OSTI ID:5587141

Rougier, P; Parmentier, C; Laplanche, A; Lefevre, M; Travagli, J P; Caillou, B; Schlumberger, M; Lacour, J; Tubiana, M

Seventy-five patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) have been treated at Institut Gustave-Roussy from 1932 to 1979. Of these, 13 patients had distant metastases and received palliative treatment, their median survival was 3 years. Sixty-two patients with MTC limited to the neck received curative treatment: 6 had exclusive external radiotherapy for inoperable disease and 56 were surgically treated: 23 by total thyroidectomy and 33 by partial thyroidectomy. After surgery 29 patients received external radiotherapy for cervical lymph node involvement (25/29) and/or incomplete surgical resection (12/27). The survival rate was 69% at 5 years and 48% at 10 years. The 29 patients who received post-operative cervical radiotherapy had initially more extensive local disease (p<0.05) than the 27 patients treated by surgery alone, nevertheless their survival was slightly higher. No difference in survival rate was observed between patients treated by total thyroidectomy or partial thyroidectomy, among whom only 4 local recurrences occurred. Three of the 6 patients treated with external radiotherapy alone experienced long survival (4, 7 and 10 years) and a fourth is still in clinical remission 4 years after treatment. The effectiveness of chemotherapy in patients with metastases was poor, only one patient out of 6 had a partial remission following a treatment by adriamycin. In the familial form and multiple endocrine neoplasia type II, total thyroidectomy appears to be indicated. In the sporadic cases, partial thyroidectomy is usually sufficient. External radiotherapy is effective in MTC and seems to be able to eradicate small foci of residual tumor; it is indicated when surgical excision is impossible or incomplete.

• Research Organization: Inst. Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif, France
• OSTI ID: 5587141
• Journal Information: Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 9:2; ISSN IOBPD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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550603* -- Medicine-- External Radiation in Therapy-- (1980-)
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ANTI-INFECTIVE AGENTS
ANTIBIOTICS
ANTINEOPLASTIC DRUGS
BODY
CARCINOMAS
CHEMOTHERAPY
DISEASES
DOXORUBICIN
DRUGS
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
EVALUATION
EXTERNAL IRRADIATION
GLANDS
IRRADIATION
MEDICINE
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANS
PATIENTS
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
SURGERY
SURVIVAL TIME
THERAPY
THYROID
THYROIDECTOMY