[Role of markers in the diagnosis and follow-up of thyroid carcinomas]. / Ruolo dei markers nella diagnosi e nel follow-up dei carcinomi tiroidei.

Serum thyroglobulin measurement is specified for, the follow-up of patients with treated differentiated thyroid cancer. The thyroglobulin measurement is not good as a screening test of thyroid carcinoma. Serum calcitonin is considered a specific, reliable, easily measurable and repeatable marker of medullary carcinoma, both sporadic and hereditary. This measurement can be used for the follow-up of already diagnosed and treated patients as well as for the screening of medullary carcinoma in patients with thyroid nodules or at risk of MEN 2A and 2B. As there is also evidence of a role for genetic factors in medullary carcinoma when it seems to be sporadic, some recent studies have found genetic markers with the highest diagnostic accuracy.