Abstract:

The benefits of¹³¹I remnant ablation include: ① facilitating the interpretation of subsequent serum thyroglobulin levels; ② increasing the sensitivity of detection of locoregional and/or metastatic disease on subsequent follow-up radioactive iodine whole-body scans; ③ maximizing the therapeutic effect of subsequent treatments, and ④ allowing a postablation scan to help identify additional sites of disease that were not identified on the preablation scan or when a preablation scan was not performed. The potential benefits of ¹³¹I adjuvant treatment include decreasing recurrence and disease-specific mortality for unknown microscopic, locoregional, and/or distant metastatic disease. The potential benefits of ¹³¹I treatment of known locoregional and/or distant metastases are ① decreasing recurrence, and ② decreasing disease-specific mortality and/or palliation. The more significant risks and side effects involve organ systems including eye/nasolacrimal, salivary, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, hematopoietic, and gonads as well as secondary primary malignancies. Although there are never-ending controversies regarding ¹³¹I therapy in differentiated thyroid cancer, the benefits and risks are becoming better understood. This in turn helps the treating physician and patient in making decisions regarding therapy.

Key words: Differentiated thyroid cancer, Complications, ¹³¹I ablation