A Review of the Significance in Measuring Preoperative and Postoperative Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) Values in Patients with Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma (MTC)
Ioannis Passos,
Elisavet Stefanidou,
Soultana Meditskou-Eythymiadou,
Maria Mironidou-Tzouveleki,
Vasiliki Manaki,
Vasiliki Magra,
Styliani Laskou,
Stylianos Mantalovas,
Stelian Pantea,
Isaak Kesisoglou,
Konstantinos Sapalidis
Affiliations
Ioannis Passos
1st Department of Surgery, “Papageorgiou” General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54621 Thessaloniki, Greece
Elisavet Stefanidou
Department of Neurosurgery, 424 General Military Hospital of Thessaloniki, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54621 Thessaloniki, Greece
Soultana Meditskou-Eythymiadou
Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54621 Thessaloniki, Greece
Maria Mironidou-Tzouveleki
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54621 Thessaloniki, Greece
Vasiliki Manaki
3rd University Surgical Department, “AHEPA” University Hospital of Thessaloniki, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54621 Thessaloniki, Greece
Vasiliki Magra
3rd University Surgical Department, “AHEPA” University Hospital of Thessaloniki, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54621 Thessaloniki, Greece
Styliani Laskou
3rd University Surgical Department, “AHEPA” University Hospital of Thessaloniki, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54621 Thessaloniki, Greece
Stylianos Mantalovas
3rd University Surgical Department, “AHEPA” University Hospital of Thessaloniki, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54621 Thessaloniki, Greece
Stelian Pantea
UMF “Victor Babes”, Surgery Clinic II, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Isaak Kesisoglou
3rd University Surgical Department, “AHEPA” University Hospital of Thessaloniki, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54621 Thessaloniki, Greece
Konstantinos Sapalidis
3rd University Surgical Department, “AHEPA” University Hospital of Thessaloniki, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54621 Thessaloniki, Greece
Background and Objectives: Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) accounts for 1–2% of all thyroid malignancies, and it originates from parafollicular “C” cells. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a tumor marker, mainly for gastrointestinal malignancies. There are references in literature where elevated CEA levels may be the first finding in MTC. The aim of this study is to determine the importance of measuring preoperative and postoperative CEA values in patients with MTC and to define the clinical significance of the correlation between CEA and the origin of C cells. Materials and Methods: The existing and relevant literature was reviewed by searching for articles and specific keywords in the scientific databases of PubMedCentraland Google Scholar (till December 2020). Results: CEA has found its place, especially at the preoperative level, in the diagnostic approach of MTC. Preoperative CEA values >30 ng/mL indicate extra-thyroid disease, while CEA values >100 ng/mL are associated with lymph node involvement and distant metastases. The increase in CEA values preoperatively is associated with larger size of primary tumor, presence of lymph nodes, distant metastases and a poorer prognosis. The clinical significance of CEA values for the surgeon is the optimal planning of surgical treatment. In the recent literature, C cells seem to originate from the endoderm of the primitive anterior gut at the ultimobranchial bodies’ level. Conclusions: Although CEA is not a specific biomarker of the disease in MTC, itsmeasurement is useful in assessing the progression of the disease. The embryonic origin of C cells could explain the increased CEA values in MTC.
