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Title: Graves' disease radioiodine-therapy: Choosing target absorbed doses for therapy planning

Abstract

Purpose: The precise determination of organ mass (m{sub th}) and total number of disintegrations within the thyroid gland (A{sup ~}) are essential for thyroid absorbed-dose calculations for radioiodine therapy. Nevertheless, these parameters may vary according to the method employed for their estimation, thus introducing uncertainty in the estimated thyroid absorbed dose and in any dose–response relationship derived using such estimates. In consideration of these points, thyroid absorbed doses for Graves’ disease (GD) treatment planning were calculated using different approaches to estimating the m{sub th} and the A{sup ~}. Methods: Fifty patients were included in the study. Thyroid{sup 131}I uptake measurements were performed at 2, 6, 24, 48, 96, and 220 h postadministration of a tracer activity in order to estimate the effective half-time (T{sub eff}) of {sup 131}I in the thyroid; the thyroid cumulated activity was then estimated using the T{sub eff} thus determined or, alternatively, calculated by numeric integration of the measured time-activity data. Thyroid mass was estimated by ultrasonography (USG) and scintigraphy (SCTG). Absorbed doses were calculated with the OLINDA/EXM software. The relationships between thyroid absorbed dose and therapy response were evaluated at 3 months and 1 year after therapy. Results: The average ratio (±1 standard deviation) betweenm{submore » th} estimated by SCTG and USG was 1.74 (±0.64) and that between A{sup ~} obtained by T{sub eff} and the integration of measured activity in the gland was 1.71 (±0.14). These differences affect the calculated absorbed dose. Overall, therapeutic success, corresponding to induction of durable hypothyroidism or euthyroidism, was achieved in 72% of all patients at 3 months and in 90% at 1 year. A therapeutic success rate of at least 95% was found in the group of patients receiving doses of 200 Gy (p = 0.0483) and 330 Gy (p = 0.0131) when m{sub th} was measured by either USG or SCTG and A{sup ~} was determined by the integration of measured {sup 131}I activity in the thyroid gland and based on T{sub eff}, respectively. No statistically significant relationship was found between therapeutic response and patients’ age, administered {sup 131}I activity (MBq), 24-h thyroid {sup 131}I uptake (%) or T{sub eff} (p ≥ 0.064); nonetheless, a good relationship was found between the therapeutic response and m{sub th} (p ≤ 0.035). Conclusions: According to the results of this study, the most effective thyroid absorbed dose to be targeted in GD therapy should not be based on a fixed dose but rather should be individualized based on the patient'sm{sub th} and A{sup ~}. To achieve a therapeutic success (i.e., durable euthyroidism or hypothyroidism) rate of at least 95%, a thyroid absorbed dose of 200 or 330 Gy is required depending on the methodology used for estimating m{sub th} and A{sup ~}.« less

Authors:
; ;  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Cancer Institute of São Paulo State (ICESP), Clinical Hospital, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-000 (Brazil)
  2. Nuclear Medicine Service, Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-000 (Brazil)
  3. Unit of Medical Physics, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa 56126 (Italy)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22251246
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Medical Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 41; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: (c) 2014 American Association of Physicists in Medicine; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0094-2405
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE; ABSORBED RADIATION DOSES; BRACHYTHERAPY; COMPUTER CODES; HYPOTHYROIDISM; IODINE 131; PATIENTS; PLANNING; RADIATION SOURCE IMPLANTS; SCINTISCANNING; THYROID; ULTRASONOGRAPHY; UPTAKE

Citation Formats

Willegaignon, J., E-mail: j.willegaignon@gmail.com, Sapienza, M. T., Coura-Filho, G. B., Buchpiguel, C. A., Nuclear Medicine Service, Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246-000, Watanabe, T., and Traino, A. C. Graves' disease radioiodine-therapy: Choosing target absorbed doses for therapy planning. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1118/1.4846056.
Willegaignon, J., E-mail: j.willegaignon@gmail.com, Sapienza, M. T., Coura-Filho, G. B., Buchpiguel, C. A., Nuclear Medicine Service, Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246-000, Watanabe, T., & Traino, A. C. Graves' disease radioiodine-therapy: Choosing target absorbed doses for therapy planning. United States. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.4846056
Willegaignon, J., E-mail: j.willegaignon@gmail.com, Sapienza, M. T., Coura-Filho, G. B., Buchpiguel, C. A., Nuclear Medicine Service, Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246-000, Watanabe, T., and Traino, A. C. 2014. "Graves' disease radioiodine-therapy: Choosing target absorbed doses for therapy planning". United States. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.4846056.
@article{osti_22251246,
title = {Graves' disease radioiodine-therapy: Choosing target absorbed doses for therapy planning},
author = {Willegaignon, J., E-mail: j.willegaignon@gmail.com and Sapienza, M. T. and Coura-Filho, G. B. and Buchpiguel, C. A. and Nuclear Medicine Service, Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246-000 and Watanabe, T. and Traino, A. C.},
abstractNote = {Purpose: The precise determination of organ mass (m{sub th}) and total number of disintegrations within the thyroid gland (A{sup ~}) are essential for thyroid absorbed-dose calculations for radioiodine therapy. Nevertheless, these parameters may vary according to the method employed for their estimation, thus introducing uncertainty in the estimated thyroid absorbed dose and in any dose–response relationship derived using such estimates. In consideration of these points, thyroid absorbed doses for Graves’ disease (GD) treatment planning were calculated using different approaches to estimating the m{sub th} and the A{sup ~}. Methods: Fifty patients were included in the study. Thyroid{sup 131}I uptake measurements were performed at 2, 6, 24, 48, 96, and 220 h postadministration of a tracer activity in order to estimate the effective half-time (T{sub eff}) of {sup 131}I in the thyroid; the thyroid cumulated activity was then estimated using the T{sub eff} thus determined or, alternatively, calculated by numeric integration of the measured time-activity data. Thyroid mass was estimated by ultrasonography (USG) and scintigraphy (SCTG). Absorbed doses were calculated with the OLINDA/EXM software. The relationships between thyroid absorbed dose and therapy response were evaluated at 3 months and 1 year after therapy. Results: The average ratio (±1 standard deviation) betweenm{sub th} estimated by SCTG and USG was 1.74 (±0.64) and that between A{sup ~} obtained by T{sub eff} and the integration of measured activity in the gland was 1.71 (±0.14). These differences affect the calculated absorbed dose. Overall, therapeutic success, corresponding to induction of durable hypothyroidism or euthyroidism, was achieved in 72% of all patients at 3 months and in 90% at 1 year. A therapeutic success rate of at least 95% was found in the group of patients receiving doses of 200 Gy (p = 0.0483) and 330 Gy (p = 0.0131) when m{sub th} was measured by either USG or SCTG and A{sup ~} was determined by the integration of measured {sup 131}I activity in the thyroid gland and based on T{sub eff}, respectively. No statistically significant relationship was found between therapeutic response and patients’ age, administered {sup 131}I activity (MBq), 24-h thyroid {sup 131}I uptake (%) or T{sub eff} (p ≥ 0.064); nonetheless, a good relationship was found between the therapeutic response and m{sub th} (p ≤ 0.035). Conclusions: According to the results of this study, the most effective thyroid absorbed dose to be targeted in GD therapy should not be based on a fixed dose but rather should be individualized based on the patient'sm{sub th} and A{sup ~}. To achieve a therapeutic success (i.e., durable euthyroidism or hypothyroidism) rate of at least 95%, a thyroid absorbed dose of 200 or 330 Gy is required depending on the methodology used for estimating m{sub th} and A{sup ~}.},
doi = {10.1118/1.4846056},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22251246}, journal = {Medical Physics},
issn = {0094-2405},
number = 1,
volume = 41,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2014},
month = {Wed Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2014}
}