Management of papillary and follicular (differentiated) thyroid cancer: new paradigms using recombinant human thyrotropin.

2002 ◽  
pp. 227-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
E L Mazzaferri ◽  
N Massoll
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Total Thyroidectomy ◽  
Initial Treatment ◽  
Differentiated Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Residual Disease ◽  
Lung Metastases ◽  
Regional Lymph Node ◽  
Whole Body

The incidence of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) has increased in many places around the world over the past three decades, yet this has been associated with a significant decrease in DTC mortality rates in some countries. While the best 10-year DTC survival rates are about 90%, long-term relapse rates remain high, in the order of 20-40%, depending upon the patient's age and tumor stage at the time of initial treatment. About 80% of patients appear to be rendered disease-free by initial treatment, but the others have persistent tumor, sometimes found decades later. Optimal treatment for tumors that are likely to relapse or cause death is total thyroidectomy and ablation by iodine-131 ((131)I), followed by long-term levothyroxine suppression of thyrotropin (TSH). On the basis of regression modeling of 1510 patients without distant metastases at the time of initial treatment and including surgical and (131)I treatment, the likelihood of death from DTC is increased by several factors, including age >45 years, tumor size >1.0 cm, local tumor invasion or regional lymph-node metastases, follicular histology, and delay of treatment >12 months. Cancer mortality is favorably and independently affected by female sex, total or near-total thyroidectomy, (131)I treatment and levothyroxine suppression of TSH. Treatments with (131)I to ablate thyroid remnants and residual disease are independent prognostic variables favorably influencing distant tumor relapse and cancer death rates. Delay in treatment of persistent disease has a profound impact on outcome. Optimal long-term follow-up using serum thyroglobulin (Tg) measurements and diagnostic whole-body scans (DxWBS) require high concentrations of TSH, which until recently were possible to achieve only by withdrawing levothyroxine treatment, producing symptomatic hypothyroidism. New paradigms, however, provide alternative pathways to prepare patients for (131)I treatment and to optimize follow-up. Patients with undetectable or low Tg concentrations and persistent occult disease can now be identified within the first year after initial treatment by recombinant human (rh)TSH-stimulated serum Tg concentrations greater than 2 microg/l, without performing DxWBS. These new follow-up paradigms promptly identify patients with lung metastases that are not evident on routine imaging, but which respond to (131)I treatment. In addition, rhTSH can be given to prepare patients for (131)I remnant ablation or (131)I treatment for metastases, especially those who are unable to withstand hypothyroidism because of concurrent illness or advanced age, or whose hypothyroid TSH fails to increase.

Long-Term Follow-Up of Patients With Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Who had Negative 131I Whole-Body Scan at First Evaluation After Treatment

2013 ◽  
Vol 38 (10) ◽  
pp. 765-769 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciana Souza Cruz Caminha ◽  
Denise Prado Momesso ◽  
Fernanda Vaisman ◽  
Rossana Corbo ◽  
Mario Vaisman
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Differentiated Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Whole Body Scan ◽  
Body Scan ◽  
Long Term Follow Up

scholarly journals Undetectable thyroglobulin makes 123I whole-body scan and stimulated thyroglobulin obsolete in follow-up care of differentiated thyroid cancer: a retrospective study

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bastiaan Sol ◽  
Bert Bravenboer ◽  
Brigitte Velkeniers ◽  
Steven Raeymaeckers ◽  
Marleen Keyaerts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Total Thyroidectomy ◽  
Differentiated Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Whole Body Scan ◽  
Body Scan ◽  
Remnant Ablation ◽  
Follow Up Care ◽  
Prognostic Utility

Abstract Background Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is a common malignancy with increasing incidence. Follow-up care for DTC includes thyroglobulin (Tg) measurement and ultrasound (US) of the neck, combined with 131I remnant ablation when indicated. Diagnostic precision has evolved with the introduction of the new high-sensitive Tg-assays (sensitivity ≤0.1 ng/mL). The aim of the study was to determine the prognostic utility of high-sensitive Tg and the need for other diagnostic tests in DTC. Methods This was a retrospective, observational study. Patients with pathologically confirmed DTC, treated with total thyroidectomy and 131I remnant ablation, who had their complete follow-up care in our institution were selected (October 2013–December 2018). Subjects with possible thyroglobulin autoantibody interference were excluded. Statistical analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS® Statistics 24 software package. Results Forty patients were eligible for analysis. A total of 24 out of the 40 patients (60%) had an undetectable high-sensitive Tg 6 months after total thyroidectomy. None of these patients had a stimulated Tg above 1 ng/mL, or remnant on the 123I Whole-Body Scan (WBS) after 1 year of follow-up. Ultrasound of the neck, performed between 6 and 12 months postoperative, was negative in 21 out of the 24 patients. Conclusions This study shows that an undetectable high-sensitive Tg can change the management of patients with DTC and decrease the use and need of stimulated Tg and 123I WBS.

scholarly journals Long-Term Prognostic Value of the Response to Therapy Assessed by Laboratory and Imaging Findings in Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 4338
Author(s):  
Michele Klain ◽  
Emilia Zampella ◽  
Leandra Piscopo ◽  
Fabio Volpe ◽  
Mariarosaria Manganelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Differentiated Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Response To Therapy ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
American Thyroid Association ◽  
Neck Ultrasound ◽  
Risk Of Recurrence

This study assessed the long-term predictive value of the response to therapy, evaluated by serum thyroglobulin (Tg) determination and neck ultrasound, and estimated the potential additional impact of diagnostic whole-body scan (WBS) in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) treated with surgery and radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy. We retrospectively evaluated 606 DTC patients treated with surgery and RAI. Response to 131I therapy at 12 months was assessed by serum Tg measurement, neck ultrasound, and diagnostic WBS. According to American Thyroid Association (ATA) guidelines, patients were classified as having a low, intermediate or high risk of recurrence and at 12 months as having an excellent response (ER) or no-ER. Follow-up was then performed every 6–12 months with serum Tg determination and imaging procedures. With a median follow-up of 105 months (range 10–384), 42 (7%) events requiring further treatments occurred. Twenty-five patients had additional RAI therapy, 11 with structural disease in the thyroid bed, eight in both thyroid bed and neck lymph nodes, four had lung metastases and two had bone metastases. The other 17 patients had additional surgery for nodal disease followed by RAI therapy. The ATA intermediate and high risk of recurrence, post-operative and pre-RAI therapy Tg ≥ 10 ng/mL, and the absence of ER at 12 months were independent predictors of events. Diagnostic WBS at 12 months permitted the identification of only five recurrences among the 219 ER patients according to serum Tg levels and ultrasound. In DTC patients, the response to therapy at 12 months after RAI therapy could rely on serum Tg measurement and neck ultrasound, while diagnostic WBS was not routinely indicated in patients considered in ER.

Favorable Long Term Results in Patients with Small Differentiated Thyroid Cancer not Treated with Radioiodine

1989 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedetto Busnardo ◽  
Maria Elisa Girelli ◽  
Domenico Rubello ◽  
Maria Rosa Pelizzo ◽  
Natalino Simioni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Total Thyroidectomy ◽  
Differentiated Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Radioiodine Therapy ◽  
Stage I ◽  
Long Term Results ◽  
Old Patients ◽  
Very Old Patients

Data on a group of 110 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer not treated by radioiodine are reported. Most of them had intrathyroid (stage I) papillary or capsuled follicular cancer of less than 3 cm diameters. They all received thyroxine at TSH suppressive doses. The follow-up ranged between 4 and 25 years, mean 8.7. No patient died of tumor. Two very old patients died free of disease. Four recurrences occurred, within 8 years, all in patients over 45 years, all local or nodal, all papillary, 3 out of 4 after total thyroidectomy. This study shows that radioiodine therapy may be avoided and that lobectomy may be sufficient in patients under 45 years with small papillary or capsuled follicular cancer.

scholarly journals Personalized management of differentiated thyroid cancer in real life – practical guidance from a multidisciplinary panel of experts

Endocrine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 280-291
Author(s):  
Alfredo Campennì ◽  
Daniele Barbaro ◽  
Marco Guzzo ◽  
Francesca Capoccetti ◽  
Luca Giovanella
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Medicine ◽  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Molecular Imaging ◽  
Routine Clinical Practice ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Neck Ultrasound ◽  
Long Term Follow Up

Abstract Purpose The standard of care for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) includes surgery, risk-adapted postoperative radioiodine therapy (RaIT), individualized thyroid hormone therapy, and follow-up for detection of patients with persistent or recurrent disease. In 2019, the nine Martinique Principles for managing thyroid cancer were developed by the American Thyroid Association, European Association of Nuclear Medicine, Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, and European Thyroid Association. In this review, we present our clinical practice recommendations with regard to implementing these principles in the diagnosis, treatment, and long-term follow-up of patients with DTC. Methods A multidisciplinary panel of five thyroid cancer experts addressed the implementation of the Martinique Principles in routine clinical practice based on clinical experience and evidence from the literature. Results We provide a suggested approach for the assessment and diagnosis of DTC in routine clinical practice, including the use of neck ultrasound, measurement of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone and calcitonin, fine-needle aspiration, cytology, and molecular imaging. Recommendations for the use of surgery (lobectomy vs. total thyroidectomy) and postoperative RaIT are also provided. Long-term follow-up with neck ultrasound and measurement of serum anti-thyroglobulin antibody and basal/stimulated thyroglobulin is standard, with 123/131I radioiodine diagnostic whole-body scans and 18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography suggested in selected patients. Management of metastatic DTC should involve a multidisciplinary team. Conclusions In routine clinical practice, the Martinique Principles should be implemented in order to optimize clinical management/outcomes of patients with DTC.

scholarly journals Pulmonary metastases in differentiated thyroid cancer: efficacy of radioiodine therapy and prognostic factors

2015 ◽  
Vol 173 (3) ◽  
pp. 399-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong-Jun Song ◽  
Zhong-Ling Qiu ◽  
Chen-Tian Shen ◽  
Wei-Jun Wei ◽  
Quan-Yong Luo
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Prognostic Factors ◽  
Pulmonary Metastasis ◽  
Differentiated Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Radioiodine Therapy ◽  
Pulmonary Metastases ◽  
Lung Metastases ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Metastatic Node ◽  
Serum Thyroglobulin

ContextData from a large cohort of patients with pulmonary metastases from differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) were retrospectively analyzed.ObjectiveTo assess the effect of radioiodine therapy and investigate the prognostic factors of survival for patients with pulmonary metastasis secondary to DTC.MethodsA total of 372 patients with pulmonary metastasis from DTC treated with131I entered the study. According to the results of131I whole-body scan (WBS), pulmonary metastases were classified as131I-avid and non-131I-avid. For patients with131I-avid lung metastases, treatment response was measured by three parameters: serum thyroglobulin (Tg) levels, chest computed tomography (CT) and post-therapeutic131I-WBS. Overall survival was calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method. Factors predictive of the outcome were determined by multivariate analyses.ResultsAmong patients demonstrating131I-avid pulmonary metastases (256/372, 68.8%), 156 cases (156/256, 60.9%) showed a significant decrease in serum Tg levels after131I therapy and 138 cases (138/229, 60.3%) showed a reduction in pulmonary metastases on follow-up CT. A complete cure, however, was only achieved in 62 cases (62/256, 24.2%). Multivariate analysis showed that only age, the presence of multiple distant metastases and pulmonary metastatic node size were significant independent variables between the groups of131I-avid and non-131I-avid.ConclusionThis study indicated that, most131I-avid pulmonary metastases from DTC can obtain partial or complete remission after131I therapy. Younger patients (<40 years old) with only pulmonary metastases and small (‘fine miliaric’ or micronodular) metastases appear to have relative favorite outcomes. Patients who do not respond to131I treatment have a worse prognosis.

scholarly journals Management of thyroid cancer: United Kingdom National Multidisciplinary Guidelines

2016 ◽  
Vol 130 (S2) ◽  
pp. S150-S160 ◽  
Author(s):  
A L Mitchell ◽  
A Gandhi ◽  
D Scott-Coombes ◽  
P Perros
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Total Thyroidectomy ◽  
Neck Dissection ◽  
Differentiated Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Distant Metastases ◽  
Central Compartment ◽  
Extrathyroidal Extension ◽  
Papillary Thyroid ◽  
Ultrasound Scanning

AbstractThis is the official guideline endorsed by the specialty associations involved in the care of head and neck cancer patients in the UK. This paper provides recommendations on the management of thyroid cancer in adults and is based on the 2014 British Thyroid Association guidelines.Recommendations• Ultrasound scanning (USS) of the nodule or goitre is a crucial investigation in guiding the need for fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). (R)• FNAC should be considered for all nodules with suspicious ultrasound features (U3–U5). If a nodule is smaller than 10 mm in diameter, USS guided FNAC is not recommended unless clinically suspicious lymph nodes on USS are also present. (R)• Cytological analysis and categorisation should be reported according to the current British Thyroid Association Guidance. (R)• Ultrasound scanning assessment of cervical nodes should be done in FNAC-proven cancer. (R)• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) should be done in suspected cases of retrosternal extension, fixed tumours (local invasion with or without vocal cord paralysis) or when haemoptysis is reported. When CT with contrast is used pre-operatively, there should be a two-month delay between the use of iodinated contrast media and subsequent radioactive iodine (I131) therapy. (R)• Fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography imaging is not recommended for routine evaluation. (G)• In patients with thyroid cancer, assessment of extrathyroidal extension and lymph node disease in the central and lateral neck compartments should be undertaken pre-operatively by USS and cross-sectional imaging (CT or MRI) if indicated. (R)• For patients with Thy 3f or Thy 4 FNAC a diagnostic hemithyroidectomy is recommended. (R)• Total thyroidectomy is recommended for patients with tumours greater than 4 cm in diameter or tumours of any size in association with any of the following characteristics: multifocal disease, bilateral disease, extrathyroidal spread (pT3 and pT4a), familial disease and those with clinically or radiologically involved nodes and/or distant metastases. (R)• Subtotal thyroidectomy should not be used in the management of thyroid cancer. (G)• Central compartment neck dissection is not routinely recommended for patients with papillary thyroid cancer without clinical or radiological evidence of lymph node involvement, provided they meet all of the following criteria: classical type papillary thyroid cancer, patient less than 45 years old, unifocal tumour, less than 4 cm, no extrathyroidal extension on ultrasound. (R)• Patients with metastases in the lateral compartment should undergo therapeutic lateral and central compartment neck dissection. (R)• Patients with follicular cancer with greater than 4 cm tumours should be treated with total thyroidectomy. (R)• I131 ablation should be carried out only in centres with appropriate facilities. (R)• Serum thyroglobulin (Tg) should be checked in all post-operative patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), but not sooner than six weeks after surgery. (R)• Patients who have undergone total or near total thyroidectomy should be started on levothyroxine 2 µg per kg or liothyronine 20 mcg tds after surgery. (R)• The majority of patients with a tumour more than 1 cm in diameter, who have undergone total or near-total thyroidectomy, should have I131 ablation. (R)• A post-ablation scan should be performed 3–10 days after I131 ablation. (R)• Post-therapy dynamic risk stratification at 9–12 months is used to guide further management. (G)• Potentially resectable recurrent or persistent disease should be managed with surgery whenever possible. (R)• Distant metastases and sites not amenable to surgery which are iodine avid should be treated with I131 therapy. (R)• Long-term follow-up for patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is recommended. (G)• Follow-up should be based on clinical examination, serum Tg and thyroid-stimulating hormone assessments. (R)• Patients with suspected medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) should be investigated with calcitonin and carcino-embryonic antigen levels (CEA), 24 hour catecholamine and nor metanephrine urine estimation (or plasma free nor metanephrine estimation), serum calcium and parathyroid hormone. (R)• Relevant imaging studies are advisable to guide the extent of surgery. (R)• RET (Proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase receptor) proto-oncogene analysis should be performed after surgery. (R)• All patients with known or suspected MTC should have serum calcitonin and biochemical screening for phaeochromocytoma pre-operatively. (R)• All patients with proven MTC greater than 5 mm should undergo total thyroidectomy and central compartment neck dissection. (R)• Patients with MTC with lateral nodal involvement should undergo selective neck dissection (IIa–Vb). (R)• Patients with MTC with central node metastases should undergo ipsilateral prophylactic lateral node dissection. (R)• Prophylactic thyroidectomy should be offered to RET-positive family members. (R)• All patients with proven MTC should have genetic screening. (R)• Radiotherapy may be useful in controlling local symptoms in patients with inoperable disease. (R)• Chemotherapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors may help in controlling local symptoms. (R)• For individuals with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, initial assessment should focus on identifying the small proportion of patients with localised disease and good performance status, which may benefit from surgical resection and other adjuvant therapies. (G)• The surgical intent should be gross tumour resection and not merely an attempt at debulking. (G)

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