Re-operation for recurrent lymph node metastasis of medullary thyroid cancer--is it useful?

Recurrent disease in medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) occurs frequently. Repeated measurements of calcitonin levels as well as imaging techniques may help detect such recurrence or metastatic disease. Re-operative tumour excision may be a good therapeutic option to treat patients with recurrence and is believed to substantially lengthen life expectancy. However, it only leads to cure in 50% of patients. Two repeatedly operated patients with recurrent MTC are presented and the literature is discussed.