Genomic Profiling of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy worldwide. Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma (MTC) is the third most common thyroid malignancy, accounting for 5% of cancer cases. MTC is more aggressive compared to differentiated thyroid cancers, including papillary and follicular thyroid cancer. MTC has a higher propensity for loco-regional invasion, lymph node metastases, and systemic metastases to the lungs, bone and liver. MTC is usually sporadic, while inherited cancer occurs in 25% of the cases. MTC, as a part of multiple endocrine neoplasia type II, is classified into highest, high and moderate degrees of aggressiveness based on the codon mutations. To date, surgical eradication remains the mainstay of treatment for MTC. Hence, it is pertinent to evaluate the genomic profile of MTC and develop targeted therapy for this aggressive cancer.