title: [Lithium as an adjuvant in the radioiodine therapy of thyroid cancer].
abstract: 14 patients were, after surgery for thyroid cancer, given radioiodine to ablate residual thyroid tissue, and, in addition, lithium carbonate. In 8 patients increasing serum lithium levels between 0.3 and 0.9 mmol/l and in 6 patients a constant level higher than 0.9 mmol/l were achieved. The radioiodine kinetics were compared with a control group of 16 patients without lithium therapy. Neither in a low nor in a high dosage the lithium medication could increase 131I uptake or prolong its effective half-life in the residual thyroid. Thus with lithium an increase of tumor dose could not be achieved. We suggest that in our patients the effect of lithium on thyroid metabolism was compensated by the enormous TSH-stimulation after thyroidectomy.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008094:Lithium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D008875:Middle Aged; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D013965:Thyroidectomy
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D008094:Lithium
vernacular_title: Lithium als Adjuvans in der Radiojodtherapie des Schilddrüsenkarzinoms.