Sequential serum thyroglobulin determinations, /sup 131/I scans, and /sup 131/I uptakes after triiodothyronine withdrawal in patients with thyroid cancer

Journal Article · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1981 · J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem-53-6-1199· OSTI ID:5639312

Schneider, A B; Line, B R; Goldman, J M; Robbins, J

To develop guidelines for the timing and interpretation of thyroglobulin (TG) measurements in patients with well differentiated thyroid cancer, we performed /sup 131/I whole body scans and uptakes with simultaneous serum TG and TSH determinations in 49 patients with this disease. In 15 patients, TG measurements were obtained initially while the patient was receiving T/sub 3/ therapy and then were repeated serially within a period of up to 35 days after T/sub 3/ withdrawal. In 9 patients with functioning thyroid tissue, the changes in TG paralleled the changes in TSH levels. Before stopping T/sub 3/, TG measurements were a poor indicator of function, since 14 of 15 patients had suppressed TG levels (<10 ng/ml). After 2 weeks off T/sub 3/, TG increased in all 5 patients with scan evidence of metastases, in 2 of 4 subjects with residual thyroid bed uptake, and in 2 of 6 patients with no uptake. In 23 patients, both the scan and serum TG measurements were performed 2 and 4 weeks after stopping T/sub 3/. At 4 weeks, compared to 2 weeks, TG levels were nearly the same in 17 (a change of <5 ng/ml and <50%), decreased in 1, and increased in 5 subjects. In 44 patients whose measurements were free of interference from anti-TG, 106 scans and serum TG determinations were performed after stopping thyroid hormone replacement. Scan evidence of metastases was always (22 scans) associated with high serum TG levels (>10 ng/ml), but high serum TG levels did not distinguish metastases from residual thyroid tissue. The serum TG level was greater than 10 ng/ml in 5 of 28 instances (18%) of negative scans, while scans were positive in 14 of 32 instances (44%) where TG levels were less than 2 ng/ml.

• OSTI ID: 5639312
• Journal Information: J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.; (United States) Vol. 53:6; ISSN JCEMA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
BODY
CHEMOTHERAPY
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSIS
DISEASES
DRUGS
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
FUNCTIONS
GLANDS
GLOBULINS
HORMONES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IODINE 131
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PEPTIDE HORMONES
PITUITARY HORMONES
PROTEINS
RADIOASSAY
RADIOIMMUNOASSAY
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS
THERAPY
THYROGLOBULIN
THYROID
THYROID HORMONES
TIME DEPENDENCE
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRIIODOTHYRONINE
TSH
WHOLE-BODY COUNTING