External radiation therapy of medullary cancer

Abstract

For patients with gross residual disease after surgery for medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), the local control rate after radiation therapy (RT) is unsatisfactorily low (20-25%; 1,2). Therefore, every attempt should be made to diagnose MTC at an early stage, then to initiate a surgical management plan to achieve complete excision of the disease. When this is not possible, external RT may result in long-term local control, but in only a few patients. Innovative approaches with novel systemic agents (3,4) or radioimmunotherapy (5,6) are being investigated. © 2006 Humana Press Inc.