Serum thyroglobulin concentrations and whole-body radioiodine scan in follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer after thyroid ablation.
Measurement of serum thyroglobulin (Tg) concentrations and whole-body radioiodine scan were performed simultaneously during follow-up of 32 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer who had undergone thyroid ablation by operation and radioiodine. Almost all patients in whom serum Tg was undetectable had normal scans. Concentrations exceeding 50 ng/ml were invariably associated with residual or metastatic tumour uptake in the scan. Out of 21 observations of detectable values below 50 ng/ml, 14 were in patients whose scans showed subclinical or sub-radiological tumour uptake and seven in patients with normal scans. The sensitivity of serum Tg as a tumour marker compared favourably to that of the whole-body scan. A scan is unnecessary when serum Tg is undetectable, but in patients with detectable serum Tg concentrations, particularly if these are below 50 ng/ml, a scan is important to assess and localise tumour uptake of iodine before advising treatmet with iodine-131.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000097:blood*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D013965:Thyroidectomy
D013954:Thyroglobulin