Nuklearmedizin 2015; 54(04): 151-157
DOI: 10.3413/Nukmed-0733-15-03
Original article
Schattauer GmbH

Timing of post 131I ablation diagnostic whole body scan in differentiated thyroid cancer patients

Less than four months post ablation may be too early
M. Winter
1   RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Aachen, Germany
,
J. Winter
1   RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Aachen, Germany
,
A. Heinzel
1   RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Aachen, Germany
,
F. F. Behrendt
1   RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Aachen, Germany
,
T. Krohn
1   RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Aachen, Germany
,
F. M. Mottaghy
1   RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Aachen, Germany
2   Maastricht University Medical Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht, the Netherlands
,
F. A. Verburg
1   RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Aachen, Germany
2   Maastricht University Medical Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht, the Netherlands
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received: 26 March 2015

accepted in revised form: 15 May 2015

Publication Date:
16 November 2017 (online)

Zusammenfassung

Ziel: Beantwortung der Frage, ob drei Monate nach 131I-Ablation als zu früh für eine diagnostische Radioiod-Ganzkörperszintigraphie (dxWBS) bei Patienten mit einem differenzierten Schilddrüsenkarzinom (DTC) anzusehen sind. Patienten, Material, Methode: Daten von 462 DTC-Patienten, die in unserem Klinikum behandelt worden waren, wurden analysiert. Alle Patienten wurden thyreoid ektomiert. Von 129 Patienten waren folgende Daten verfügbar a) eine dxWBS mit gleichzeitiger TSH-stimulierter Thyreoglobulin-Messung, die innerhalb von vier Monaten (max. 120 Tage) nach 131I-Ablation durchgeführt wurde ohne weitere therapeutische Maßnahmen zwischen Ablation und dxWBS, b) eine zweite dxWBS oder 131I-Therapie (rxWBS), die innerhalb von 1,5 Jahren nach Ablation durchgeführt wurde. Ergebnisse: Bei 25/129 Patienten stimmten die Ergebnisse der initialen und weiteren Scans nicht überein: Bei 15 von 54 Patienten (27%) mit einem positiven initialen dxWBS widersprachen diese Ergebnisse dem zweiten dxWBS oder rxWBS. Neue Läsionen wurden bei 10/74 (14%) Patienten mit einem initial negativen dxWBS entdeckt. Eine Diskordanz zwischen dem ersten und weiteren in der Nachsorge gemessenen stimulierten Tg-Werten wurde in 5/129 (4%) der Patienten gefunden: Bei 2/90 (2%) Patienten mit einer negativen ersten stimulierten Tg-Bestimmung wurde nachfolgend ein positives Ergebnis gefunden. Bei 3/29 (10%) Patienten mit einer positiven ersten Bestimmung wurde bei der zweiten Untersuchung ein negatives Ergebnis festgestellt. Schlussfolgerung: Weniger als vier Monate nach 131I-Ablation ist zu früh für eine diagnostische Radioiod-Ganzkörperszintigraphie mit zeitgleich TSH-stimulierter Tg-Messung. Die Ermittlung des richtigen späteren Zeitpunkts erfordert weitere Untersuchungen.

Das Zeitintervall zwischen 131I Ablation und diagnostischer Ganzkörperszintigraphie bei Patienten mit differenziertem Schilddrüsenkarzinom Weniger als vier Monate nach Ablation dürfte zu früh sein

Summary

Aim: to determine whether the first three months after 131I ablation is too early to perform radioiodine diagnostic whole body scintigraphy (dxWBS) in differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients. Patients, material, methods: The files of 462 patients who were treated for DTC in our hospital were reviewed. All patients underwent surgical thyroidectomy. 146 patients had data available on a. a dxWBS which was performed less than four months (max 120 days) after 131I ablation with concurrent stimulated TSH stimulated thyroglobulin (Tg) measurement without further therapeutic measures between ablation and dxWBS and b. a second dxWBS or 131I therapy (rxWBS) within 1.5 years after ablation. Results: A discordance between the initial and follow-up scan was found in 25/129 (19%) patients: of 54 patients with a positive initial dxWBS, scan results of a second dxWBS or rxWBS obtained with a suitable distance to the initial scan contradicted the initial one in 15 patients (27%). New lesions were discovered in 10/74 negative first dxWBS cases (14%). A discordance between the initial and follow-up stimulated Tg was found in 5/129 (4%) patients: 2/90 (2%) of patients with a negative stimulated Tg at initial dxWBS subsequently showed a positive results whereas 3/29 (10%) patients with an initially positive Tg showed a negative Tg level at the second procedure. Conclusion: Less than four months after 131I ablation is too early to perform radioiodine diagnostic whole body scintigraphy with concurrent TSH stimulated Tg measurement. The identification of the right, later, timepoint however requires further research.

 
  • References

  • 1 Biko J, Reiners C, Kreissl MC. et al. Favourable course of disease after incomplete remission on 131I therapy in children with pulmonary metastases of papillary thyroid carcinoma: 10 years follow-up. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2011; 38: 651-655.
  • 2 Caglar M, Bozkurt FM, Akca CK. et al. Comparison of 800 and 3700 MBq iodine-131 for the postoperative ablation of thyroid remnant in patients with low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer. Nucl Med Commun 2012; 33: 268-274.
  • 3 Castagna MG, Maino F, Cipri C. et al. Delayed risk stratification, to include the response to initial treatment (surgery and radioiodine ablation), has better outcome predictivity in differentiated thyroid cancer patients. Eur J Endocrinol 2011; 165: 441-446.
  • 4 Cooper DS, Doherty GM, Haugen BR. et al. Revised American Thyroid Association management guidelines for patients with thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid cancer. Thyroid 2009; 19: 1167-1214.
  • 5 DeGroot LJ, Kaplan EL, McCormick M, Straus FH. Natural history, treatment, and course of papillary thyroid carcinoma. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1990; 71: 414-424.
  • 6 Dietlein M, Dressler J, Eschner W. et al. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nuklearmedizin, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Medizinische Physik. Procedure guideline for iodine-131 whole-body scintigraphy for differentiated thyroid cancer (version 3). Nuklearmedizin 2007; 46: 206-212.
  • 7 Durante C, Haddy N, Baudin E. et al. Long-term outcome of 444 patients with distant metastases from papillary and follicular thyroid carcinoma: benefits and limits of radioiodine therapy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006; 91: 2892-2899.
  • 8 Giovanella L, Clark PM, Chiovato L. et al. Thyroglobulin measurement using highly sensitive assays in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer: a clinical position paper. Eur J Endocrinol 2014; 171: R33-R46.
  • 9 Giovanella L, Treglia G, Sadeghi R. et al. Unstimulated highly sensitive thyroglobulin in follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer patients: a meta-analysis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2014; 99: 440-447.
  • 10 Hanscheid H, Lassmann M, Buck AK. et al. The limit of detection in scintigraphic imaging with I-131 in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Phys Med Biol 2014; 59: 2353-2368.
  • 11 Haugen BR, Pacini F, Reiners C. et al. A comparison of recombinant human thyrotropin and thyroid hormone withdrawal for the detection of thyroid remnant or cancer. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999; 84: 3877-3885.
  • 12 Krohn T, Hanscheid H, Muller B. et al. Maximum dose rate is a determinant of hypothyroidism after 131I therapy of Graves’ disease but the total thyroid absorbed dose is not. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2014; 99: 4109-4115.
  • 13 Krohn T, Meyer PT, Ocklenburg C. et al. Stunning in radioiodine theray of benign thyroid disease. Nuklearmedizin 2008; 47: 254.
  • 14 Lassmann M, Luster M, Hanscheid H, Reiners C. Impact of 131I diagnostic activities on the biokinetics of thyroid remnants. J Nucl Med 2004; 45: 619-625.
  • 15 Mallick U, Harmer C, Yap B. et al. Ablation with low-dose radioiodine and thyrotropin alfa in thyroid cancer. N Engl J Med 2012; 366: 1674-1685.
  • 16 Mazzaferri EL, Jhiang SM. Long-term impact of initial surgical and medical therapy on papillary and follicular thyroid cancer. Am J Med 1994; 97: 418-428.
  • 17 Medvedec M. Thyroid stunning in vivo and in vitro. Nucl Med Commun 2005; 26: 731-735.
  • 18 Mustafa M, Kuwert T, Weber K. et al. Regional lymph node involvement in T1 papillary thyroid carcinoma: a bicentric prospective SPECT/CT study. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2010; 37: 1462-1466.
  • 19 Pacini F, Molinaro E, Lippi F. et al. Prediction of disease status by recombinant human TSH-stimulated serum Tg in the postsurgical follow-up of differentiated thyroid carcinoma. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2001; 86: 5686-5690.
  • 20 Pacini F, Schlumberger M, Dralle H. et al. European consensus for the management of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma of the follicular epithelium. Eur J Endocrinol 2006; 154: 787-803.
  • 21 Park HM, Park YH, Zhou XH. Detection of thyroid remnant/metastasis without stunning: an ongoing dilemma. Thyroid 1997; 7: 277-280.
  • 22 Phan TT, vanTol KM, Links TP. et al. Diagnostic I-131 scintigraphy in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer: no additional value of higher scan dose. Ann Nucl Med 2004; 18: 641-646.
  • 23 Reiners C, Hanscheid H, Luster M. et al. Radioiodine for remnant ablation and therapy of metastatic disease. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2011; 7: 589-595.
  • 24 Salvatori M, Perotti G, Giovanella L, Dottorini ME. Can an undetectable value of TG and a negative neck ultrasound study be considered reliable methods to assess the completeness of thyroid ablation?. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2010; 37: 1039-1040.
  • 25 Samaan NA, Schultz PN, Hickey RC. et al. The results of various modalities of treatment of well differentiated thyroid carcinomas: a retrospective review of 1599 patients. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1992; 75: 714-720.
  • 26 Sawka AM, Brierley JD, Tsang RW. et al. An updated systematic review and commentary examining the effectiveness of radioactive iodine remnant ablation in well-differentiated thyroid cancer. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am 2008; 37: 457-480.
  • 27 Schlumberger M, Catargi B, Borget I. et al. Strategies of radioiodine ablation in patients with low-risk thyroid cancer. N Engl J Med 2012; 366: 1663-1673.
  • 28 Schmidt D, Szikszai A, Linke R. et al. Impact of 131I SPECT/Spiral CT on nodal staging of differentiated thyroid carcinoma at first radioablation. J Nucl Med 2009; 50: 18-23.
  • 29 Simpson WJ, McKinney SE, Carruthers JS. et al. Papillary and follicular thyroid cancer. Prognostic factors in 1,578 patients. Am J Med 1987; 83: 479-488.
  • 30 Sobin LH, Gospodarowicz MK, Wittekind C. TNM classification of malignant tumours. 7th ed.. New-York: Wiley-Blackwell; 2009. .
  • 31 Spencer CA, Bergoglio LM, Kazarosyan M. et al. Clinical impact of thyroglobulin (Tg) and Tg autoantibody method differences on the management of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinomas. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2005; 90: 5566-5575.
  • 32 Thies ED, Tanase K, Maeder U. et al. The number of I therapy courses needed to achieve complete remission is an indicator of prognosis in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2014; 41: 2281-2290.
  • 33 Tuttle RM, Tala H, Shah J. et al. Estimating risk of recurrence in differentiated thyroid cancer after total thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine remnant ablation: using response to therapy variables to modify the initial risk estimates predicted by the new american thyroid association staging system. Thyroid 2010; 20: 1341-1349.
  • 34 Verburg FA, de Keizer B, Lips CJ. et al. Prognostic significance of successful ablation with radioiodine of differentiated thyroid cancer patients. Eur J Endocrinol 2005; 152: 33-37.
  • 35 Verburg FA, Luster M, Cupini C. et al. Implications of thyroglobulin antibody positivity in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer: a clinical position paper. Thyroid 2013; 23: 1211-1225.
  • 36 Verburg FA, Stokkel MP, Duren C. et al. No survival difference after successful 131I ablation between patients with initially low-risk and high-risk differentiated thyroid cancer. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2010; 37: 276-283.
  • 37 Verburg FA, Verkooijen RB, Stokkel MP, van Isselt JW. The success of 131I ablation in thyroid cancer patients is significantly reduced after a diagnostic activity of 40 MBq 131I. Nuklearmedizin 2009; 48: 138-142.
  • 38 Verkooijen RB, Verburg FA, van Isselt JW. et al. The success rate of I-131 ablation in differentiated thyroid cancer: comparison of uptake-related and fixed-dose strategies. Eur J Endocrinol 2008; 159: 301-307.