title: Radio-guided surgery of differentiated thyroid cancer using (131)I or 99mTc-Sestamibi.
abstract: The classical therapeutic approach to patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is based on total or near-total thyroidectomy, followed by (131)I treatment and thyroid-stimulating hormone suppressive therapy. This approach allows complete cure in many patients, especially when the tumour is diagnosed at an early stage; it also allows long-term survival in patients with locoregional recurrences or distant metastases if they can be treated with (131)I. In contrast, when metastatic DTC deposits lose their ability to trap (131)I (non-functioning metastases), a worse prognosis is expected. Nevertheless, in patients with locoregional non-functioning recurrences, an early diagnosis and prompt surgical extirpation can lead to a favourable prognosis. In these cases, radical surgery is needed. This can be achieved with radio-guided surgery using a hand-held gamma probe and a tumour-seeking radiotracer to detect, intraoperatively, the smallest metastatic lesions. In this paper, we discuss the two principal techniques proposed in the literature for radio-guided surgery of non-functioning DTC metastatic recurrences, the first using high doses of (131)I and the second using low doses of 99mTc-Sestamibi.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rubello
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salvatori
authors.forename: Maria Rosa
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pelizzo
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rampin
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fanti
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gregianin
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mariani
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011379:Prognosis; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi