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Radioiodine-remnant ablation in low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer: pros

  • Pros and Cons in Endocrine Practice
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Abstract

Differentiated thyroid carcinomas are typically treated with total thyroidectomy as initial therapy. Subsequent radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation destroys post-surgical thyroid remnants, can additionally provide adjuvant therapy of residual and metastatic thyroid cancers, and enhances the sensitivity and specificity of further diagnostic studies. There is current controversy regarding whether a large number of patients, broadly considered to have “low-risk” disease, should be provided RAI ablation. This is consequent to over-reliance on short-term studies, under-appreciation of the value of RAI remnant ablation, and inflation of the side effects of RAI therapy. A balanced assessment of all of these issues provides justification to utilize post-surgical radioiodine ablation, even in cases that are considered low risk on the basis of surgical findings.

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Conflict of interest

Kenneth B. Ain has previously received research support from Genzyme Corporation.

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  1. Thyroid Oncology Program, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, 800 Rose Street, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA

    Kenneth B. Ain

  2. Thyroid Cancer Research Laboratory, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Lexington, KY, USA

    Kenneth B. Ain

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Ain, K.B. Radioiodine-remnant ablation in low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer: pros. Endocrine 50, 61–66 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-015-0668-9

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