Procalcitonin promising as calcitonin replacement for managing thyroid cancer: Study

Switzerland: According to a recent study in The Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, procalcitonin (ProCT) has the potential to replace calcitonin as a new standard of care in the therapy of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). This is due to the high accuracy of ProCT combined with its attractive analytical properties. 

Calcitonin (CT) measurement is critical in the management of MTC, although it is susceptible to a number of flaws. ProCT has been identified as a potentially useful alternative MTC tumor marker. Luca Giovanella, Clinic for Nuclear Medicine and Thyroid Center, University and University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, and colleagues, therefore, aimed to assess the ProCT diagnostic accuracy in MTC prediction and therapy monitoring. 

Without regard for language or temporal constraints, electronic databases were searched for observational studies published up to May 2021. There were studies that compared ProCT with calcitonin accuracy. After eliminating duplicates and excluding ineligible papers, relevant articles were separately reviewed by two reviewers. Eleven studies (4.5 % of the total number of research identified) fulfilled the selection criteria. QUADAS-2 was used by two reviewers to independently extract data and assess data quality and validity.

A meta-analysis was conducted on 11 trials that were sufficiently clinically and statistically homogenous (n = 5817 patients, 335 MTC patients). The researchers used hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristics and bivariate techniques. 

In conclusion, with the presentation of accurate data and diagnosis of MTC with ProCT, it may be advisable to give way for this modality of diagnosis along with further in-depth research.

Reference:

Giovanella, L., Garo, M. L., Ceriani, L., Paone, G., Campenni', A., & D'Aurizio, F. (2021). Procalcitonin as an Alternative Tumor Marker of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgab564