Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Clinical Applications of Nuclear Medicine Targeted Therapy pp 59–68Cite as

Radioiodine Therapy of Thyroid Cancer

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Abstract

Differentiated thyroid cancers are typically iodine-avid and can be effectively treated with radioiodine. In most patients, radioactive iodine therapy (RAI) is done for ablation of residual tissue or with adjuvant intent in case of suspected persistent disease after surgery. Patient with advanced or metastatic disease may also benefit from RAI. In this chapter, we will discuss the current role of 131I-iodide therapy, including patient’s selection and preparation, and the importance of individual response to therapy to guide subsequent patient management.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

References

  1. Curado MP, Edwards B, Shin HR, et al. Cancer incidence in five continents. vol 9. IARC Scientific Publications No. 160. Lyon: IARC; 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Pellegriti G, Frasca F, Regalbuto C, et al. Worldwide increasing incidence of thyroid cancer: update on epidemiology and risk factors. J Cancer Epidemiol. 2013;2013:965212.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Aschebrook-Kilfoy B, Ward MH, Sabra MM, Devesa SS. Thyroid cancer incidence patterns in the United States by histologic type, 1992–2006. Thyroid. 2011;21(2):125–34.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. LiVolsi VA. Papillary neoplasms of the thyroid. Pathologic and prognostic features. Am J Clin Pathol. 1992;97:426–34.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Ghossein R. Encapsulated malignant follicular cell-derived thyroid tumors. Endocr Pathol. 2010;21:212–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Haugen BR, Alexander EK, Bible KC, et al. 2015 American thyroid association management guidelines for adult patients with thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid cancer: the American Thyroid Association guidelines task force on thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid cancer. Thyroid. 2016;26(1):1–133.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. SEER Stat Fact Sheets: Thyroid Cancer. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/thyro.html. Accessed 12 Mar 2017.

  8. Jukkola A, Bloigu R, Ebeling T, et al. Prognostic factors in differentiated thyroid carcinomas and their implications for current staging classifications. Endocr Relat Cancer. 2004;11:571–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Orlov S, Orlov D, Shaytzag M, et al. Influence of age and primary tumor size on the risk for residual/recurrent well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Head Neck. 2009;31:782–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Baek SK, Jung KY, Kang SM, et al. Clinical risk factors associated with cervical lymph node recurrence in papillary thyroid carcinoma. Thyroid. 2010;20:147–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Tuttle RM, Tala H, Shah J, et al. Estimating risk of recurrence in differentiated thyroid cancer after total thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine remnant ablation: using response to therapy variables to modify the initial risk estimates predicted by the new American Thyroid Association staging system. Thyroid. 2010;20:1341–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Vaisman F, Momesso D, Bulzico DA, et al. Spontaneous remission in thyroid cancer patients after biochemical incomplete response to initial therapy. Clin Endocrinol. 2012;77:132–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. American Thyroid Association (ATA) Guidelines Taskforce on Thyroid Nodules and Differentiated Thyroid Cancer, Cooper DS, Doherty GM, Haugen BR, Kloos RT, Lee SL, Mandel SJ, Mazzaferri EL, Mclver B, Pacini F, Schlumberger M, Sherman SI, Steward DL, Tuttle RM. Revised American Thyroid Association management guidelines for patients with thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid cancer. Thyroid. 2009;19(11):1167–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Pacini F, Schlumberger M, Dralle H, Elisei R, Smit JW, Wiersinga W. European thyroid cancer taskforce. European consensus for the management of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma of the follicular epithelium. Eur J Endocrinol. 2006;154(6):787–803.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Edmonds CJ, Hayes S, Kermode JC, et al. Measurement of serum TSH and thyroid hormones in the management and treatment of thyroid carcinoma with radioiodine. Br J Radiol. 1977;50:799–807.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Pacini F, Schlumberger M, Harmer C, et al. Post-surgical use of radioiodine (131I) in patients with papillary and follicular thyroid cancer and the issue of remnant ablation: a consensus report. Eur J Endocrinol. 2005;153:651–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Pacini F, Ladenson PW, Schlumberger M, et al. Radioiodine ablation of thyroid remnants after preparation with recombinant human thyrotropin in differentiated thyroid carcinoma: results of an international, randomized, controlled study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91:926–32.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Elisei R, Schlumberger M, Driedger A, et al. Follow-up of low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer patients who underwent radioiodine ablation of postsurgical thyroid remnants after either recombinant human thyrotropin or thyroid hormone withdrawal. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009;94(11):4171–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Piccardo A, Arecco F, Puntoni M, et al. Focus on high-risk DTC patients: high postoperative serum thyroglobulin level is a strong predictor of disease persistence and is associated to progression-free survival and overall survival. Clin Nucl Med. 2013;38:18–2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Maxon HR 3rd, Englaro EE, Thomas SR, et al. Radioiodine-131 therapy for well-differentiated thyroid cancer-a quantitative radiation dosimetric approach: outcome and validation in 85 patients. J Nucl Med. 1992;33:1132–6.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Maenpaa HO, Heikkonen J, Vaalavirta L, et al. Low vs. high radioiodine activity to ablate the thyroid after thyroidectomy for cancer: a randomized study. PLoS One. 2008;2(3):e1885.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Castagna MG, Cevenini G, Theodoropoulou A, et al. Postsurgical thyroid ablation with low or high radioiodine activities results in similar outcomes in intermediate risk differentiated thyroid cancer patients. Eur J Endocrinol. 2013;169:23–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Verburg FA, Mader U, Reiners C, et al. Long term survival in DTC is worse after low-activity initial post-surgical I-131 therapy in both high and low risk patients. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014;99:4487–96.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Fatourechi V, Hay ID, Mullan BP, et al. Are post-therapy radioiodine scans informative and do they influence subsequent therapy of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer? Thyroid. 2009;10:573–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Souza Rosario PW, Barroso AL, Rezende LL, et al. Post I-131 therapy scanning in patients with thyroid carcinoma metastases: an unnecessary cost or a relevant contribution? Clin Nucl Med. 2004;29:795–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Van Nostrand D. The benefits and risks of I-131 therapy in patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer. Thyroid. 2009;19:1381–91.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Klubo-Gwiezdzinska J, Van Nostrand D, Atkins F, et al. Efficacy of 131 dosimetric versus empiric prescribed activity of I for therapy of differentiated thyroid cancer. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96(10):3217–25.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Baudin E, Schlumberger M. Metastasis of differentiated cancers of the thyroid. Ann Endocrinol (Paris). 1997;58:326–9.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Nixon IJ, Whitcher MM, Palmer FL, et al. The impact of distant metastases at presentation on prognosis in patients with differentiated carcinoma of the thyroid gland. Thyroid. 2012;22:884–9.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Sawka AM, Thabane L, Parlea L, Ibrahim-Zada I, Tsang RW, Brierley JD, Straus S, Ezzat S, Goldstein DP. Second primary malignancy risk after radioactive iodine treatment for thyroid cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Thyroid. 2009;19:451–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy

    Ettore Seregni & Alice Lorenzoni

  2. Division of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy

    Laura Fugazzola

  3. Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Laura Fugazzola

Authors
  1. Ettore Seregni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alice Lorenzoni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Laura Fugazzola
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ettore Seregni .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Humanitas Gavazzeni Hospital, Bergamo, Italy

    Emilio Bombardieri

  2. Nuclear Medicine Therapy and Endocrinology, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy

    Ettore Seregni

  3. Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padova, Italy

    Laura Evangelista

  4. Nuclear Medicine Division, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy

    Carlo Chiesa

  5. Nuclear Medicine, Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milano, Italy

    Arturo Chiti

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Seregni, E., Lorenzoni, A., Fugazzola, L. (2018). Radioiodine Therapy of Thyroid Cancer. In: Bombardieri, E., Seregni, E., Evangelista, L., Chiesa, C., Chiti, A. (eds) Clinical Applications of Nuclear Medicine Targeted Therapy . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63067-0_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63067-0_6

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-63066-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-63067-0

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation