Radioiodine total body scan versus serum thyroglobulin levels in follow-up of patients with thyroid cancer
Two groups of patients were studied to compare the efficacy of serum thyroglobulin (Tg) levels to /sup 131/I total body scans in the follow-up of patients with thyroid cancer. All of the group of 30 patients without recurrence had undetectable Tg levels on and off thyroid hormone replacement, and all had negative total body scan results although eight patients showed uptake in remnant thyroid tissue. In the second group of 37 patients with documented recurrent or metastatic disease, 34 (92%) had positive serum Tg levels, although the levels in five of these patients were undetectable while on thyroid replacement, and 31 (84%) had positive total body scan results. The false negative results of the two tests were not overlapping, and of those with positive Tg levels, 29 showed a significant increase once thyroid hormone therapy had been withdrawn. We conclude that although the percentages of positive Tg levels and body scan results in patients with recurrent disease are similar, both tests are required to minimize the number of patients with undiagnosed metastases. Second, thyroid-stimulating hormone suppression has a definite although unpredictable effect on serum Tg levels in patients with thyroid cancer, and thyroid hormone should be withdrawn prior to measurement of serum Tg to minimize the number of false negative results.
- Research Organization:
- Department of Surgery, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York
- OSTI ID:
- 5428208
- Journal Information:
- Surgery; (United States), Journal Name: Surgery; (United States) Vol. 91:1; ISSN SURGA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOCHEMISTRY
BODY
CARCINOMAS
CHEMISTRY
CHEMOTHERAPY
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DIAGNOSTIC USES
DISEASES
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
GLANDS
GLOBULINS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IODINE 131
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
METASTASES
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PATHOLOGY
PATIENTS
PROTEINS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
SCINTISCANNING
THERAPY
THYROGLOBULIN
THYROID
USES