Medullary thyroid carcinoma
The so-called medullary thyroid carcinoma (synonym: C-cell carcinoma) does not form from the actual thyroid cells. Rather, this of the four types of thyroid cancer consists of altered C-cells. In healthy tissue, the C-cell clusters are responsible for the production of an important hormone, calcitonin.
Calcitonin plays a decisive role in the regulation of the calcium and phosphate balance in addition to other messenger substances. It is the natural antagonist of the parathyroid hormone synthesized in the parathyroid glands. While the parathyroid hormone is involved in increasing the calcium level, the main function of calcitonin is to inhibit the release of bound calcium.
Typical for medullary thyroid carcinoma is an overproduction of calcitonin induced by changes in the C-cells. As a result, bone-destroying cells, so-called osteoclasts, are inhibited, less calcium is released and the calcium level in the blood is reduced. Affected patients therefore often suffer from pronounced sensory disturbances.
In addition, this of the four types of thyroid cancer often causes severe diarrhea. However, these diarrheas are caused less by the falling calcium level than by various substances produced by the tumor. In contrast to the much more common types of thyroid cancer (follicular and papillary thyroid cancer), men and women are equally affected in this form. The survival rate for medullary thyroid cancer is approximately 50 to 70 percent.
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is the rarest of the four thyroid cancers. In contrast to the other tumor variants that can occur in the gland, the anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is characterized by an enormously fast growth. For this reason, the prognosis for this of the four types of thyroid cancer is considered particularly poor.
In general, it can be assumed that the affected patients live only about six months after diagnosis. Women and men are equally affected by this one of the four thyroid cancer types. Both the causes and possible risk factors for the development of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma are still unknown.
