Abstract

Purpose: Medullary thyroid carcinoma is a rare cancer that arises from parafollicular or C cells which secrete calcitonin. The prognosis is usually poor because, at the time of diagnosis, either lymph node involvement or distant metastases are frequently present and there is no effective treatment for metastatic disease. We report our experience of the first case of solitary bone metastasis of medullary thyroid carcinoma treated with radiofrequency ablation.

Materials and methods: In September 2014 a patient with bone metastasis of medullary thyroid carcinoma was treated with computer tomography guided radiofrequency ablation. The patient was then followed by periodical physical examinations, serum calcitonin levels and Gallium-68 somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography - computed tomography (68Ga PET-CT) until December 2018.

Results: Neither acute nor long-term complications were observed. Local recurrence at the site of the ablated metastasis was not encountered during follow-up, in particular, the patient obtained a partial response using biochemical parameters and a complete response using metabolic parameters.

Conclusion: Radiofrequency ablation could be a new useful treatment modality in bone metastasis of medullary thyroid carcinoma, but further studies are necessary to determine the precise role that this therapy should play in the management of this pathological condition.

Keywords: Radiofrequency ablation; Medullary thyroid carcinoma; Bone metastasis; Biochemical parameters