Selecting MTC Physician Specialists

Overview

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a rare form of thyroid cancer. For these reasons, before you begin your care, we encourage you to see a doctor who specializes in MTC care and actively treats numerous MTC patients. If you’ve already begun your care but aren’t seeing an MTC specialist, we encourage you to seek a second opinion from one. If it’s impossible for you to meet with an MTC expert physician, it is important that your treating physicians are willing to consult with MTC expert physicians and provide medical treatment in accordance with the current version of the American Thyroid Association Guidelines for the Management of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma.

It is ideal to seek care at a multidisciplinary care center which will provide access to the various types of medical specialists you may require for your MTC care, including endocrinologists, surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, liver specialists, bone specialists, and geneticists.

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General comments about MTC medical care

  • MTC requires genetic testing be performed through blood testing to determine if you have sporadic or familial disease.
  • Treating MTC often involves a team of specialists, with one physician as the team leader.
  • Physicians treating MTC should be open to consulting with experienced colleagues in the field.
  • Although MTC is rare, there are many survivors who are willing to connect with the newly diagnosed, to offer encouragement, support, education, and share their MTC experiences. You can connect with survivors and caregivers through the MTC Facebook Group: Medullary Thyroid Cancer-MTC. This group also maintains a list of MTC expert physicians located throughout the United States.

Specialists involved in MTC treatment

  • Endocrine Surgeons, Head and Neck Surgeons (Otolaryngologists) or Surgical Oncologists. Most perform thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal surgery.
  • Endocrinologists. Experts in hormone-related conditions, including thyroid disorders.
  • Medical Oncologists. They treat MTC patients with systemic targeted therapies for inoperable metastatic disease.
  • Radiologists. Specialists who interpret imaging studies that are essential for diagnosing and monitoring MTC.