Genetics of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma

Abstract

Existing modes of diagnosis and therapy for medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) have limitations, informations on the genetics of familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC), a constituent of multiple endocrine neoplasia II (MEN II) syndrome may help to understand the etiology of the disease and to design gene therapy. Association between specific mutations in ret protooncogene to specific phenotypes of MEN II subjects provide vital line of due for the diagnosis of the disease. Screening of suspected/potent carriers of ret (rearranged during transformation) mutations will help to decide about the time and course of treatment. Gene therapy for MTC appears to be imminent and this review attempts to provide a comprehensive account of informations from more than hundred research articles published in this area.