The Program in Endocrine Malignancies is dedicated to the diagnosis and therapy of benign and malignant tumors of the endocrine glands. The physicians affiliated with this center have expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of benign and malignant tumors of the thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands as well as the tumors of the endocrine pancreas. Genetic syndromes that affect these organs are a particular interest. An independent Neuroendocrine Center specializes in tumors of the pituitary and hypothalamus.

Diagnostic studies include:

• Fine needle aspiration biopsies and ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsies of thyroid nodules
• Radioiodine and technetium scanning of the thyroid glands
• Sestimibi scanning of the parathyroid glands
• Whole body radioiodine scanning and the use of recombinant human TSH for whole body scanning;
• Transduodenal biopsies of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
• Adrenal vein catheterization
• MIBG and PET scanning

Our surgeons are highly skilled at performing total thyroidectomy and neck dissections for well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma and medullary thyroid carcinoma, tracheal resection for invasive thyroid carcinoma, minimally invasive parathyroid surgery and laparascopic surgery for adrenal tumors. Radioactive iodine therapy for well-differentiated thyroid is a particular interest. Protocols are available for therapy of advanced thyroid carcinoma.

Our group is actively involved in the National Thyroid Cancer Treatment Cooperative Registry as well as the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Thyroid Carcinoma Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

Clinical Protocols
Use of Iressa® in the treatment of thyroid cancer (well-differentiated, oxyphil cell, medullary, anaplastic)

Faculty
Gilbert H. Daniels, MD
Clinical Director, Endocrine Genetics Program
Richard A. Hodin, MD
Director, Endocrine Surgery

Annie W. Chan, MD
Daniel C. Chung, MD
Randall D. Gaz, MD
Yariv J. Houras, MD
Henry Kronenberg MD
Thomas J. Lynch, Jr., MD
Douglas J. Mathisen, MD
Mary Jane O’Neill, MD
Gregory Randolph, MD
Douglas S. Ross, MD
Cameron D. Wright, MD

Selected Publications
Randolph GW, Daniels GH. Radioactive iodine lobe ablation as an alternative to completion thyroidectomy for follicular carcinoma of the thyroid. Thyroid 2002; 12:989-996.

Wunderbaldinger P, Harisinghani MG, Hahn PF, Daniels GH, Turetschek K, Simeone J, O’Neill MJ, Mueller PR. Cystic lymph node metastases in papillary thyroid carcinoma. American J Roent 2002; 178:693-697.

Daniels GH [Editorial] Radioiodine and thyroid cancer: some questions, controversies and considerations. Endocrine Practice 2001; 7: 320-3.

Ain KB, Egorin MJ, DeSimone PA for the Collaborative Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Health Intevention Trials (CATCHIT) Group: Treatment of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma with paclitaxel: Phase 2 trial using ninety-six-hour infusion. Thyroid 2000; 10:587-94.

Haugen BR, Pacini F, Reiners C, Schlumberger M,Ladenson PW, Sherman, SI, Cooper DS, Graham KE, Braverman LE, Skarulis MC, Davies TF, DeGroot LJ, Mazzaferri EL, Daniels GH, Ross DS, Luster M, Samuels MH, Becker DV, Maxon HR, Cavalieri RR, Spencer CA, McEllin K, Weintraub BD, Ridgway EC. A comparison of recombinant human thyrotopin and thyroid hormone withdrawal for the detection of thyroid remnant or cancer. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999; 84:3877-85.

Cooper DS, Specker B, Ho M, Sperling M, Ladenson PW, Ross DS, Ain KB, Bigos ST, Brierley JD, Haugen BR, Klein I, Robbins J, Sherman SI, Taylor T, Maxon HR III.  Thyrotropin suppression and disease progression in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer: Results from the National Thyroid Cancer Treatment Cooperative Registry. Thyroid 1998; 8:737-44.

Taylor T, Specker B, Robbins J, Sperling M, Ho M, Ain K, Bigos ST, Brierly J, Cooper D, Haugen B, Hay I, Hertzberg V, Klein I, Kleine H, Ladenson P, Nishiyama R, Ross D, Sherman S, Maxon H.  Outcome after treatment of high-risk papillary and non-Hurthle-cell follicular tyroid cancer. Ann Intern Med 1998; 129:622-7.

Sherman SI, Brierley JD, Sperling M, Ain K, Bigos T, Cooper DS, Haugen B, Ho M, Klein I, Ladenson PW, Robbins J, Ross DS, Specker B, Taylor T, Maxon HR. Prospective multicenter study of thyroid carcinoma treatment. Initial analysis of staging and outcome. Cancer 1998; 83:1012-21.

Pennell NA, Daniels GH, Haddad RI, Ross DS, Evans T, Wirth LJ, Fidias PH, Temel JS, Gurubhagavatula S, Heist RS, Clark JR, Lynch TJ. A Phase II Study of Gefitinib in Patients with Advanced Thyroid Cancer. Thyroid. 2007 Nov 6;