Hypercalcitoninemia is not pathognomonic of medullary thyroid carcinoma

Hypercalcitoninemia has frequently been reported as a marker for medullary thyroid carcinoma. Currently, calcitonin measurements are mostly useful in the evaluation of tumor size and progression, and as an index of biochemical improvement of medullary thyroid carcinomas. Although measurement of calc...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Toledo, Sergio PA, Lourenço Jr, Delmar M, Santos, Marcelo Augusto, Tavares, Marcos R, Toledo, Rodrigo A, Correia-Deur, Joya Emilie de Menezes
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2009
País:Brasil
Institución:Universidade de São Paulo (USP)
Repositorio:Clinics
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:revistas.usp.br:article/17896
Acceso en línea:https://www.revistas.usp.br/clinics/article/view/17896
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Calcitonin
False-positive test
RET mutation
Total thyroidectomy
Descripción
Sumario:Hypercalcitoninemia has frequently been reported as a marker for medullary thyroid carcinoma. Currently, calcitonin measurements are mostly useful in the evaluation of tumor size and progression, and as an index of biochemical improvement of medullary thyroid carcinomas. Although measurement of calcitonin is a highly sensitive method for the detection of medullary thyroid carcinoma, it presents a low specificity for this tumor. Several physiologic and pathologic conditions other than medullary thyroid carcinoma have been associated with increased levels of calcitonin. Several cases of thyroid nodules associated with increased values of calcitonin are not medullary thyroid carcinomas, but rather are related to other conditions, such as hypercalcemias, hypergastrinemias, neuroendocrine tumors, renal insufficiency, papillary and follicular thyroid carcinomas, and goiter. Furthermore, prolonged treatment with omeprazole (>; 2-4 months), beta-blockers, glucocorticoids and potential secretagogues, have been associated with hypercalcitoninemia. An association between calcitonin levels and chronic auto-immune thyroiditis remains controversial. Patients with calcitonin levels >;100 pg/mL have a high risk for medullary thyroid carcinoma (~90%-100%), whereas patients with values from 10 to 100 pg/mL (normal values: