Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is an uncommon neuroendocrine tumor that originates from the parafollicular C cells in the thyroid. Unlike the more common papillary carcinoma, MTC tends to progress more aggressively and is prone to metastasis that is often unresponsive to chemotherapy. The main therapeutic approaches for MTC include surgical intervention and pharmacological treatments. Recent years have seen significant progress, particularly in the pharmacological management of MTC. This review aims to examine the diagnostic and treatment strategies for MTC, incorporating the latest findings. A thorough search was conducted in databases such as PubMed, PubMed Central, and Google Scholar, using keywords related to MTC, its molecular and imaging diagnostics, thyroidectomy, and systemic pharmacotherapy. Only articles published in English were considered, and abstracts were reviewed for relevance. The selected articles primarily included original research studies and meta-analyses. A total of 39 articles were included for detailed analysis. This mini-review highlights the diagnostic techniques for MTC and emphasizes the importance of biomarker-level testing. In particular, calcitonin shows a strong correlation with tumor progression. The standard treatment for MTC includes total thyroidectomy accompanied by cervical lymph node dissection. In certain cases, systemic therapy, particularly with tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibitors, is also indicated. Ongoing research is investigating innovative treatments such as gene therapy and the inhibition of tumor mitochondrial metabolism. MTC is a fast-growing neuroendocrine tumor that requires comprehensive surgical treatment. When surgery is not feasible, therapies that target different stages of tumor carcinogenesis are employed. The development of new pharmacological agents continues to improve treatment outcomes.
