1) Describe why thyroid cancer is increasing. 2) Review guidelines for the use of I-131 in the treatment of thyroid cancer. 3) Review the controversies in thyroid cancer treatment.
The purpose of this educational activity is to review the reasons why the incidence of thyroid cancer has risen so rapidly over the last 40 years and discuss the role of radioiodine ablation in patients with thyroid cancer. Issues that will be discussed include controversies in the extent of thyroid surgery and the appropriate use of radioiodine ablation in patients with thyroid cancer which is controversial in low risk and intermediate risk patients.
The incidence of thyroid cancer in the United States has almost tripled since the early 1970s with unchanged mortality principally due to overdiagnosis. The extent of surgery performed for thyroid cancer is controversial especially in small cancers but only patients with complete thyroidectomy are candidates for radioiodine ablation. Recently lower doses of I-131 have been shown to be effective for radioiodine ablation of remnant thyroid tissue after thyroidectomy. High risk patients will benefit from radioiodine ablation with decreased recurrence and improved mortality. Radioiodine ablation in low risk patients is very controversial and has not been shown to improve mortality.
Yoo, D,
New Guidelines for I-131 Therapy of Thyroid Cancer. Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL.
http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14001407.html
