Published in:
Open Access
17-08-2023 | Thyroid Cancer | Viewpoint
Appropriate and mindful measurement of serum calcitonin in patients with thyroid nodules. A white paper
Authors:
Pierpaolo Trimboli, Pablo Valderrabano, Fabian Pitoia, Arnoldo Piccardo, Jörg Bojunga
Published in:
Endocrine
|
Issue 1/2024
Login to get access
Abstract
Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is an infrequent thyroid malignancy that is often diagnosed at advanced stage with consequent poor prognosis. Thus, the earlier the diagnosis of MTC, the better the prognosis. Unfortunately, the preoperative detection of MTC remains challenging in clinical practice. In fact, while ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration cytology have suboptimal performance in this context, measuring serum calcitonin (Ctn), fully recognized as the most reliable test to detect MTC, is not universally accepted as routine test in all patients with thyroid nodule(s). The authors of this paper reappraise critically the matter of Ctn measurement in view of the recent advancements in the literature to point out the essential information to be known, and then to prepare an easy-to-use guide for clinicians to appropriately consider the measurement of serum Ctn during clinical practice.