Thyroid Cancer Brain Metastases and Thyroglobulin

Abstract

Background: Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most common endocrine cancer. The majority of patients reach long survival rates, but 10-15% of patients show recurrent disease, and 5% have distant metastases. Brain metastases (BMs) from TC are rare and carry high morbidity and mortality.

Methods: From January 2010 to December 2015, nearly 400 patients with TC were treated at a tertiary referral center. This study reports the findings of all seven patients with BM, which were compared to historical controls.

Results: Male patients and older age are associated with a higher frequency of distant metastases from TC. Among patients with BM, surgical excision when indicated, followed by whole brain radiotherapy, was the treatment associated with longest survival rates.

Conclusion: Thyroglobulin was the most useful serum marker to diagnose recurrence or distant disease. High levels of thyroglobulin (mean: 15,029; IQR: 300 - 13,687) were mainly associated with BMs.




J Endocrinol Metab. 2016;6(3):90-94
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jem351w