After thyroidectomy for medullary carcinoma of thyroid, which is impoant for determining recurrence of tumour: September 2009
As. C: Carcinoembryonic antigenUnlike papillary and follicular thyroid cancers which arise from thyroid hormone producing cells, medullary cancer of the thyroid originates from the parafollicular cells (also called C cells) of the thyroid.These C cells make a different hormone called calcitonin.High levels of serum calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen are produced by many medullary tumours.Levels falls after resection and rise again with recurrence making it a valuable tumour marker in the follow-up of patients with this diseaseThis cancer has a much lower cure rate than does the "well differentiated" thyroid cancers (papillary and follicular), but cure rates are higher than they are for anaplastic thyroid cancer.
Thyroglobulin
TSH
Carcinoembryonic antigen
Thyroxine levels