title: Diagnostic 131I whole body scanning after thyroidectomy and ablation for differentiated thyroid cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the value of the diagnostic whole body (131)I scan after thyroidectomy and (131)I ablation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of all patients with differentiated thyroid cancer treated in one centre between 1990 and 2000.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 153 consecutive patients who underwent diagnostic scanning following ablative therapy were identified. This diagnostic scan was positive in 20 patients (13%) and faintly positive in 16 patients (11%). The majority (117 patients) had negative scans. Of the 20 patients with positive scans, four received no further treatment, nine showed no abnormal uptake following a second ablative (131)I dose and seven had uptake in the thyroid bed (six) or in neck nodes (one) after repeat ablation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the group with positive scans, the four patients who received no further treatment and the nine with a negative second ablation scan remained disease free during follow-up. No patient with a positive diagnostic scan received additional (131)I therapy which would not otherwise have been given based on the clinical findings, serum thyroglobulin (Tg) values or the presence of anti-Tg antibodies. Ten of the patients with negative scans developed recurrent disease which was always detected clinically or by a rising serum Tg value.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diagnostic whole body (131)I scans add little extra information and in our experience do not influence patient management. They should be reserved for patients in whom serum Tg levels are unreliable because of the presence of antibodies or when there is clinical suspicion of tumour.
authors.affiliation: Thyroid Unit, Royal Marsden Hospital, Downs Road, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5PT, UK.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hyer
authors.forename: Louiza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vini
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pratt
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Clive
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harmer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes