This study evaluates whether undetectable calcitonin (Ct) at 6–12 months post-surgery—the ATA-defined criterion for biochemical cure in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)—accurately reflects long-term disease behavior and recurrence risk.
The 6–12 month undetectable Ct threshold may not reliably define cure: some patients with early biochemical persistence subsequently normalize Ct, while others with persistent Ct never develop structural disease.
The abstract alone is available; full methodology, sample size, follow-up duration, and quantitative outcomes are not reported here, limiting detailed appraisal.
Clinicians should interpret a detectable Ct at 6–12 months with caution—it does not always predict structural recurrence. Longer biochemical follow-up may be needed before reclassifying a patient as having persistent or recurrent MTC.
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