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Table 2 Characteristics of Patients With Advanced Medullary Thyroid Cancer

From: Diagnostic characteristics, treatment patterns, and clinical outcomes for patients with advanced/metastatic medullary thyroid cancer

 

All Patients,

n (%)

Patients With RET-Mutant MTC,

n (%)

Number of patients, N

203

100.0%

45

100.0%

Age at advanced diagnosis of MTC

203

100.0%

45

100.0%

 Mean (SD)

52.2 (10.4)

46.6 (9.7)

 Median (IQR)

53 (44–59)

46 (39–54)

Sex

 Female

119

58.6%

26

57.8%

 Male

84

41.4%

19

42.2%

Race a

 White

134

66.0%

24

53.3%

 Black/African American

45

22.2%

10

22.2%

 Asian, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

18

8.9%

6

13.3%

 Other b

1

0.5%

1

2.2%

 Unknown or not reported

6

3.0%

4

8.9%

Ethnic origin

 Hispanic or Latina/Latino

25

12.3%

5

11.1%

 Not Hispanic or Latina/Latino

163

80.3%

33

73.3%

 Unknown or not reported

15

7.4%

7

15.6%

Total duration of follow-up, months c

203

100.0%

45

100.0%

 Mean (SD)

24.5 (16.0)

28.8 (18.0)

 Median (IQR)

21.1 (15.0–28.5)

25.5 (17.9–34.5)

Clinical stage at initial diagnosis

 Stage II

10

4.9%

0

0.0%

 Stage III

20

9.9%

6

13.3%

 Stage IVA

58

28.6%

12

26.7%

 Stage IVB

28

13.8%

4

8.9%

 Stage IVC

82

40.4%

22

48.9%

 Unknown or not reported

5

2.5%

1

2.2%

Time from initial diagnosis to advanced diagnosis date (months), among patients who were initially diagnosed with stage I, II, III (n, %)

30

14.8%

6

13.3%

 Mean (SD)

26.3 (33.0)

37.5 (64.0)

 Median (IQR)

14.1 (8.2–28.8)

12.6 (10.1–17)

Site(s) of local extension or metastasis at advanced MTC diagnosis a

203

100%

25

100%

 Distant lymph nodes

111

54.7%

20

44.4%

 Bone

69

34.0%

18

40.0%

 Brain

14

6.9%

6

13.3%

 Liver

56

27.6%

19

42.2%

 Local structures (e.g., muscles, larynx, trachea, esophagus, or large vessels)

58

28.6%

12

26.7%

 Lung/pleura

81

39.9%

15

33.3%

Performance status at advanced MTC diagnosis (± 30 days) d

173

85.2%

42

93.3%

 0 or 1

142

82.1%

36

85.7%

 2–4

31

18.0%

6

14.3%

Calcitonin level evaluated at advanced MTC diagnosis (± 30 days) (pg/mL) (n, %) e

141

69.5%

31

68.9%

 Calcitonin level known (n, %)

117

83.0%

23

74.2%

  Mean (SD)

150.1 (138.9)

139.2 (138.6)

  Median (IQR)

110.0 (22.0–210.0)

100.0 (18.0–200.0)

 Calcitonin evaluated but level unknown or not reported (n, %)

24

17.0%

8

25.8%

CEA test performed at advanced MTC diagnosis (± 30 days) (ng/mL) (n, %) f

108

53.2%

26

57.8%

 CEA level known (n, %)

84

77.8%

14

53.8%

  Mean (SD)

30.0 (30.4)

27.5 (28.2)

  Median (IQR)

18.3 (3.7–50.0)

19.3 (6.8–30.0)

 CEA tested but level unknown or not reported (n, %)

24

22.2%

12

46.2%

  1. CEA carcinoembryonic antigen, ECOG Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, IQR interquartile ratio, MTC medullary thyroid cancer, RET rearranged during transfection, SD standard deviation
  2. aMultiple responses allowed; rows will add up to greater than 100%
  3. bReported as mixed race
  4. cLength of follow-up is the duration of time between the date of initiation of first-line systemic therapy and death or end of patient record
  5. dKarnofsky score were converted to the ECOG scale for 29 patients (14.3%) [17]
  6. eCalcitonin normal range: < 10 pg/mL
  7. fCEA test normal range: < 2.5 ng/mL