Thyroglobulin and calcitonin measurements: pitfalls and future perspectives

Abstract

Thyroid cancer is the most prevalent endocrine cancer, and the prognosis depends on the type and stage of cancer at the time of discovery. The treatment involves (hemi-)thyroidectomy, possibly followed by additional therapeutic options. After treatment, patients are monitored using serum concentrations of endocrine tumour markers: thyroglobulin (Tg) in case of differentiated cancer and calcitonin in case of medullary thyroid cancer. Measuring Tg and calcitonin concentrations in serum may be challenging. In this review, we provide a complete overview of the evolution in laboratory measurements of Tg and calcitonin, with an emphasis on (pre-)analytical challenges and potential approaches to overcome current pitfalls.

Keywords: calcitonin; immunoassay; interference; standardisation; thyroglobulin.