Pediatric Medullary Thyroid Cancer

What is Pediatric Medullary Thyroid Cancer?

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a type of thyroid cancer that originates in the parafollicular cells, which are known as “C” cells because they secrete the hormone calcitonin.

Risk Factors

Risk factors for MTC may include:

• A family history of MTC
• A family history of multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN)
• A prior history of pheochromocytoma, mucosal neuromas or hyperparathyroidism

What are the different types of Pediatric Medullary Thyroid Cancer?

There are two types of MTC:

Inherited MTC

Inherited MTC runs in families.

Sporadic MTC

Sporadic MTC does not run in families.

What are the signs and symptoms of Pediatric Medullary Thyroid Cancer?

• A lump on the thyroid gland
• Difficulty breathing
• Cough (sometimes with blood)
• Diarrhea
• Goiter (enlarged thyroid)

How is Pediatric Medullary Thyroid Cancer diagnosed?

There are several methods that are used for diagnosing MTC. Your child’s doctor may use a combination of these methods:

• History and physical exam
• Blood tests
• Ultrasound (a noninvasive test that uses sound waves to take pictures of the thyroid)
• Fine needle biopsy (removal of a small amount of thyroid tissue using a thin needle; the tissue is later examined under a microscope)

How is Pediatric Medullary Thyroid Cancer treated?

The extent of surgical and medical treatment will depend on the extent of your child’s disease. 

Surgery

Initial treatment consists of surgical excision of the thyroid gland. Medullary thyroid carcinoma can spread through the body’s lymphatic system to lymph nodes in the neck adjacent to the thyroid gland and beyond, and surgical removal of these lymph nodes may also be required. In more advanced cases it may spread to the lungs.

Medullary thyroid cancer is not particularly sensitive to radioactive iodine ablation or chemotherapy, so surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment. Once surgical treatment is complete, in some cases radiation or other interventions may be required to treat extensive or residual disease.