Abstract 55P
Background
The medullary cancer of the thyroid gland is a malign tumor originating in parafollicular C cells. The tumor produces numerous molecules and calcitonin is the most important of them. Regarding the medullary cancer of the thyroid gland, serum calcitonin is the most important tumor marker. This study aimed to establish if there is a correlation between the blood concentration of calcitonin and the clinical and pathological characteristics of medullary cancer (the size, and the presence of regional metastases on lymph nodes and remote metastases), and to establish what pre-operational concentrations of calcitonin are expected to bring about biochemical recovery after surgery.
Methods
The examination included 43 subjects operated on at the tertiary care center. The blood concentration of calcitonin was determined in all the patients both before and after surgery. The following clinical and pathological characteristics of the tumor were examined: the size of the tumor, the number of regional metastases on lymph nodes, the number of affected lymph nodes, and the presence of remote metastases.
Results
There is a positive correlation between the size of a tumor and the pre-operational blood concentration of calcitonin (p<0.01). There is also a correlation between the pre-operational concentration of calcitonin and the presence of regional metastases on lymph nodes (p<0.01). Remote metastases were present in the patients with the pre-operational values of calcitonin higher than 1000 pg/ml. In the patients with a pre-operational concentration of calcitonin lower than 1000 pg/ml, the post-operational concentration of calcitonin was lower than 10 pg/ml, and those patients did not have remote metastases.
Conclusions
The blood concentration of calcitonin increases parallel with the size of a tumor and the presence of regional metastases on lymph nodes (the percentage of affected lymph nodes). Remote metastases can be expected in patients whose concentration of calcitonin is higher than 1000 pg/ml. The biochemical recovery of patients after surgery (post-operative concentration of calcitonin lower than 10 pg/ml) can be expected if the pre-operational blood concentration of calcitonin is lower than 1000 pg/ml.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
The author.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
The author has declared no conflicts of interest.