Ablation rate in 410 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer

This study covers the results of radioactive iodine treatment given to 410 (306 female and 104 male, mean age 45.4 ± 8.9 yr.) patients operated for differentiated thyroid cancer in the period of 1985-1996. Mean follow up period was 5.4 ± 1.2 yrs. All the patients had residual thyroid tissue lower than 2 gr. TSH was above 30 IU/mL. Doses following the first one were either the same as or 30-50% higher than the previous one. The patients were grouped in three dose levels and percentage success was calculated for each group. None of the patients in group I and II had metastases before the I-131 treatment All the patients in the group 3 had metastases. With the first treatment percentage success was 42.3 in group I, 81.5 in group II and 74.1 in group III. A total of 96.2 in group I, 96.3 in group II and 90.2 in group III was achieved after the second dose. It is concluded that giving a standard dose of 2775-4625 MBq radioactive iodine must be the method of choice for treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer. (author)