To explore the key factors affecting the formulation of treatment and prognosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma.

Patient data, clinical characteristics and the results of follow-up of typical cases of 23 patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma admitted to Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital Breast and Thyroid Surgery from Apr. 2007 to Mar. 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The therapeutic schedule and prognosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma were discussed in combination with ATA guidelines and others.

Of the 23 patients with MTC, 22 (95.65%) had elevated serum calcitonin, 15 (65.22%) had elevated carcinoembryonic antigen, 3 (13.04%) had suspected abnormal lymph nodes, and 2 (8.70%) had capsule invasion. Thyroid lobectomy, thyroid lobectomy with lateral lymph node dissection in level VI, total thyroidectomy, total thyroidectomy with lateral lymph node dissection in level VI, total thyroidectomy with bilateral lymph node dissection in level VI, total thyroidectomy with bilateral lymph node dissection in level VI with lymph node dissection in level I, II, III, IV, V or VII were performed in 1, 2, 3, 1, 13, 3 cases respectively. 8 cases had postoperative recurrence (34.78%) , of which 7 cases were caused by the first operation. The level of Ctn increased significantly in 2 cases before operation, who underwent total thyroidectomy with bilateral lymph node dissection in level VI, and no recurrence was found after operation.

The key to the biological cure of medullary thyroid carcinoma is standardized surgical treatment. The surgery method cannot be determined simply by calcitonin. The modern treatment of medullary thyroid carcinoma needs to follow the principle of standardization and individualization at the same time.

Medullary thyroid carcinoma; Calcitonin; Thyroid cancer