Multifocality and bilaterality in medullary thyroid cancer: basis for a proof-of-concept safety of lobectomy
Authors' conclusion
Our study demonstrated that the rarity of multifocality and, in particular, of bilaterality, in sMTC represents the proof of concept for considering a more conservative surgical approach in selected sMTC cases. This approach cannot be considered in hMTC due to the high prevalence of multifocal and bilateral cases.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) diagnosed in one centre, 2005–2018
- Participants
- 389 patients
- Exposure
- Sporadic vs hereditary MTC
- sMTCn = 311
- hMTCn = 78
- Outcome
- Prevalence of multifocality
Methodological detailssingle-centre
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Multifocality
- Multifocality, all MTC
- 89/389 (22.9%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Bilaterality
- Bilaterality — Bilaterality in multifocal sMTC
- 27/45 (60%)
Multifocality and clinico-pathological features
- Multifocality correlated with a more aggressive phenotype in both sMTC and hMTC
- Multivariate: multifocality independently associated with extrathyroidal extension and N1 status in sMTC, and with N1 status and persistent disease in hMTC
- No presurgical factor predicted both multifocality and bilaterality
- Multivariate analysis
Original publication
Multifocality and bilaterality in medullary thyroid cancer: basis for a proof-of-concept safety of lobectomy. Eur Thyroid J. Published 18 August 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →