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The Quarterly Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2016 June;60(2):163-71
Copyright © 2016 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA
language: English
Thyroid remnant ablation success and disease outcome in stage III or IV differentiated thyroid carcinoma: recombinant human thyrotropin versus thyroid hormone withdrawal
Juan A. VALLEJO CASAS 1, Luisa M. MENA BARES 1, 2, María Á. GÁLVEZ MORENO 3, Estefanía MORENO ORTEGA 1, Robert J. MARLOWE 4, Francisco R. MAZA MURET 1, María D. ALBALÁ GONZÁLEZ 1 ✉
1 Department of Nuclear Medicine, “Reina Sofía” University Hospital, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain; 2 Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hospital General Universitario Santa Lucía, Santa Lucía, Spain; 3 Department of Endocrinology, “Reina Sofía” University Hospital, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain; 4 Spencer-Fontayne Corporation, Jersey City, NJ, USA
BACKGROUND: Most publications to date compare outcomes after post-surgical thyroid remnant ablation stimulated by recombinant human thyrotropin (rhTSH) versus thyroid hormone withholding/withdrawal (THW) in low-recurrence risk differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) patients. We sought to perform this comparison in high-risk patients.
METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed ~9-year single-center experience in 70 consecutive adults with initial UICC (Union for International Cancer Control) stage III/IV, M0 DTC undergoing rhTSH-aided (N.=54) or THW-aided (N.=16) high-activity ablation. Endpoints included ablation success and DTC outcome. Assessed ≥1 year post-ablation, ablation success comprised a) no visible scintigraphic thyroid bed uptake or pathological extra-thyroidal uptake; b) undetectable stimulated serum thyroglobulin (Tg) without interfering autoantibodies; c) both criteria. DTC outcome, determined at the latest visit, comprised either 1) “no evidence of disease” (NED): undetectable Tg, negative Tg autoantibodies, negative most recent whole-body scan, no suspicious findings clinically, on neck ultrasonography, or on other imaging; 2) persistent disease: failure to attain NED; or 3) recurrence: loss of NED.
RESULTS: After the first ablative activity, ablation success by scintigraphic plus biochemical criteria was 64.8% in rhTSH patients, 56.3% in THW patients (P=NS). After 3.5-year versus 6.2-year median follow-up (P<0.05), DTC outcomes were NED, 85.2%, persistent disease, 13.0%, recurrence, 1.9%, in the rhTSH group and NED, 87.5%, persistent or recurrent disease, 6.3% each, in the THW group (P=NS).
CONCLUSION: In patients with initial stage III/IV, M0 DTC, rhTSH-aided and THW-assisted ablation were associated with comparable remnant eradication or DTC cure rates.