Bay Biosciences provides high quality, clinical grade, fresh frozen sera (serum), plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) biofluid samples from patients diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC).

Moreover, the serum, plasma and PBMC specimens are processed from medullary thyroid cancer patient’s whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.

Furthermore, the matched bio-fluid samples are collected from unique patients diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer patients and are provided to a valued pharmaceutical customer for research.

In addition, detailed clinical information associated with medullary thyroid cancer samples is provided to a valued customer for research, development and drug discovery.

 

Thyroid Cancer Overview

Thyroid cancer is relatively uncommon compared to other cancers. According to the CDC, every year, about 12,000 men and 33,000 women are diagnosed with thyroid cancer in the United States. Moreover, about 900 men and 1,000 women die from the disease.

Furthermore, thyroid cancer is usually treatable and is often cured with surgery and, if indicated, radioactive iodine. Even when thyroid cancer is more advanced, effective treatment is available for the most common forms of thyroid cancer. Although the diagnosis of cancer is terrifying, the prognosis for most patients with papillary and follicular thyroid cancer is usually very good.

Types of Thyroid Cancer

In addition, thyroid cancer is classified into types based on the kinds of cells found in the tumor. Specifically, the type of thyroid cancer is determined when a sample of tissue biopsy from the tumor is examined under a microscope. Consequently, the type of thyroid cancer is considered in determining the treatment of the patients and prognosis.

Following are different types of thyroid cancers:

Papillary Thyroid Cancer

  • First, Papillary thyroid cancer: The most common form of thyroid cancer, papillary thyroid cancer arises from follicular cells, which produce and store thyroid hormones. Furthermore, papillary thyroid cancer can occur at any age; however, it most often affects patients between the ages of 30 to 50. Consequently, doctors sometimes refer to papillary thyroid cancer and follicular thyroid cancer together as differentiated thyroid cancer.

Follicular Thyroid Cancer

  • Second, Follicular thyroid cancer: In addition, follicular thyroid cancer also arises from the follicular cells of the thyroid. Notably, it usually affects patients older than age 50. Moreover, Hurthle cell cancer is a rare and potentially more aggressive type of follicular thyroid cancer.

Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

  • Moreover, Anaplastic thyroid cancer: On the other hand, anaplastic thyroid cancer is a rare type of thyroid cancer that begins in the follicular cells. It grows rapidly and, as a result, is very difficult to treat. Typically, anaplastic thyroid cancer occurs in adults over the age of 60 years.

Medullary Thyroid Cancer

  • Furthermore, Medullary thyroid cancer: Finally, medullary thyroid cancer begins in thyroid cells called C cells, which produce the hormone calcitonin. Elevated levels of calcitonin in the blood can indicate medullary thyroid cancer at a very early stage. Additionally, certain genetic syndromes increase the risk of medullary thyroid cancer, although this genetic link is uncommon.

Other Types

  • In addition, Other rare types: Other very rare types of cancer starts in the thyroid include thyroid lymphoma, which begins in the immune system cells of the thyroid, and thyroid sarcoma, which begins in the connective tissue cells of the thyroid.

What is Medullary Thyroid Cancer (MTC)?

Medullary Thyroid Cancer (MTC) is a rare type of cancer and accounts for 1% to 2% of thyroid cancers in the United States. Furthermore, MTC is different from other types of thyroid cancers, which are derived from thyroid follicular cells, the cells that make thyroid hormone; specifically, it originates from the parafollicular C cells of the thyroid gland.

In contrast, these cells do not make thyroid hormone and instead produce a different hormone called calcitonin. Moreover, Medullary Thyroid Cancer (MTC) can, and frequently does, spread to lymph nodes, and it can also spread to other organs.

Notably, MTC is likely to run in families and is inherited in up to 25% of diagnoses; consequently, inherited forms can be associated with other endocrine tumors in syndromes called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN) 2A and MEN 2B. In addition to MTC, patients with MEN2A may have tumors of the adrenal glands called pheochromocytomas or tumors in the parathyroid glands (parathyroid adenomas).

MEN2B

On the other hand, patients with MEN2B have MTC, pheochromocytomas, and neuromas (typically a benign growth or tumor of nerve tissue) in the lining of the mouth and/or gastrointestinal tract. Finally, patients with an inherited form of MTC usually have a mutation in a gene called the RET proto-oncogene.

This mutation is present in all of the cells in their body (a germline mutation); consequently, these mutations cause the development of MTC. This is important because, in family members of a person with an inherited form of MTC, a blood test for a mutation in the RET protooncogene can lead to an early diagnosis of MTC and, therefore, to curative surgery to remove it.

However, in the majority of patients (~ 75%), a germline mutation is not found, indicating that, in fact, MTC is not an inherited or inheritable condition. In these cases, MTC is called sporadic. Nevertheless, whether MTC is sporadic or familial can be determined by a blood test for the RET protooncogene. Thus, anyone diagnosed with MTC should have this test run to determine whether the MTC is familial (meaning other family members may also have MTC that has not yet been diagnosed) or sporadic.

Causes of Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer occurs when cells in the thyroid undergo genetic changes (mutations). Consequently, the mutations allow the cells to grow and multiply rapidly. Additionally, the cells also lose the ability to die, as normal cells would.

As a result, the accumulating abnormal thyroid cells form a tumor. Furthermore, the abnormal cells can invade nearby tissue and can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. Although scientists are not exactly sure what causes thyroid cancer, some of the following factors may contribute to developing thyroid cancer:

  • Getting too much radiation around the neck area, especially when you are young.
  • Having certain genetics conditions inherited from parents.

Signs and symptoms of Thyroid Cancer

  • Firstly, a lump (nodule) or swelling on the side of the neck is the most common symptom.
  • Additionally, having trouble breathing.
  • Furthermore, having trouble swallowing.
  • Moreover, having a hoarse voice.
  • Lastly, swollen lymph nodes

Risk factors of Thyroid Cancer

Following factors may increase the risk of developing thyroid cancer:

  • Female sex: Thyroid cancer occurs more often in women than in men.
  • Exposure to high levels of radiation: Radiation therapy treatments to the head and neck increase the risk of thyroid cancer.
  • Certain inherited genetic disorders: Genetic disorders that increase the risk of thyroid cancer include familial medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia, Cowden’s syndrome and familial adenomatous polyposis.

Biospecimens

biospecimens

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.

Moreover, human biospecimens are available including tumor tissue, serum, plasma and PBMC samples from most other therapeutic areas.

Furthermore, Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and likewise normal healthy donors for controls. Additionally, available in all formats and types.

In fact, our biobank procures and stores fully consented, de-identified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples, human biofluids such as serum samples, plasma samples from various diseases and matched controls.

Also, all our human tissue collections, human biospecimens and human biofluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.

In fact, this critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.

Additionally, researchers find the patient’s data associated with the human biospecimens extremely valuable and use it to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, as well as in other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and human biological samples, including fresh frozen human biospecimens cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.

For example fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as human serum, human plasma and human PBMCs.

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.

Please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.

Types of Biospecimens

Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) and human biofluids from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:

Moreover, we can also procure most human biospecimens and human biofluids, special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples and human biofluids are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.

In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human biofluids such as  human plasma, human serum, and human PBMCs bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols; you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.

Bay Biosciences also provides human biospecimens from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, Contact us Now.