title: [Significance of thyroglobulin as a tumor marker in the serum of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma: longitudinal and cross-sectional studies (author's transl)].
abstract: For evaluating the clinical significance of thyroglobulin measurements for the follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma, thyroglobulin was determined radioimmunologically during the past 2 years (up to 12 times) in 40 patients after withdrawal of thyroid hormone. Thyroglobulin values were compared with whole-body scintigrams after radioiodine. Thyroglobulin antibodies, which may interfere in the radioimmunoassay for thyroglobulin, were also estimated by a radioimmunologic method. In the majority of cases, thyroglobulin levels corresponded to the scintigrams, however, the thyroglobulin level appeared to be a more precise index for changes in tumor tissue mass. In one patient the scintigram was negative, whereas considerable amounts of thyroglobulin were measured in the serum: X-ray tomography revealed a lung metastase in this case. On the other hand, thyroglobulin was undetectable in the sera of patients who exhibited distinct metastases in the scintigram. Thyroglobulin can be regarded as a tumor marker in patients thyroidectomized for differentiated thyroid carcinoma. However, its determination can certainly not replace whole-body scintigraphy as postulated by several authors, although thyroglobulin measurement appears to be superior to scanning in some cases. A combined application of iodine scanning and thyroglobulin radioimmunoassay is thus advisable in the follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma.
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000097:blood*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000097:blood*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D013954:Thyroglobulin
vernacular_title: Serum-Thyreoglobulinspiegel als Tumormarker bei Schilddrüsencarcinom.