[Prevalence of iodine- and thyroglobulin-negative findings in differentiated thyroid cancer.A retrospective analysis of patients treated from 1951 to 1998 in university hospital].
OBJECTIVE
The prevalence of iodine- and thyroglobulin-negative findings was evaluated in all patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) treated from 1961 until 1998 at the Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf.


METHODS
A total of 490 patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PCA) and 242 patients with follicular thyroid cancer (FCA) were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into four groups: 1: no recurrence, 2: recurrent disease, 3: primary metastatic/progressive disease and 4: inconclusive follow-up. Results of iodine scan, serum-TG, and additional imaging modalities as well as histology were compared in all patients.


RESULTS
21/490 (4.3%) of patients with PCA and 16/242 (6.6%) with FCA suffered from recurrent disease. 62/490 (12.7%) of patients with PCA and 59/242 (24.4%) with FCA had primary metastatic/progressive disease. 12/21 patients with PCA and 12/16 with FCA showing up with recurrent disease had a negative iodinescan. 11/21 of patients with PCA and 4/16 with FCA and tumor recurrence had negative serum-TG levels. 14/62 patients with PCA and 14/59 with FCA presenting with primary metastatic/progressive disease had negative iodinescan. 14/62 patients with PCA and 6/59 with FCA had negative serum-TG.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of iodine-negative recurrent/metastatic disease is in accordance to the literature, whereas the prevalence of TG-negative recurrent/metastatic was noted higher than reported previously. Thus, the commonly used follow-up scheme of DTC is confirmed. However, iodine scan should be regularly performed in patients with high risk of recurrence.
Klutmann
S
S
Abteilung für Nuklearmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Deutschland.
Jenicke
L
L
Geiss-Tönshoff
M
M
Bohuslavizki
K H
KH
Mester
J
J
Clausen
M
M
D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000231:Adenocarcinoma, Papillary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000097:blood*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
D015415:Biomarkers; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D013954:Thyroglobulin