title: An updated systematic review and commentary examining the effectiveness of radioactive iodine remnant ablation in well-differentiated thyroid cancer.
abstract: Radioactive iodine remnant ablation (RRA) is used to destroy residual normal thyroid tissue after complete gross surgical resection of papillary or follicular thyroid cancer. The article updates a prior systematic review of the literature to determine whether RRA decreases the risk of thyroid cancer-related death or recurrence at 10 years after initial surgery, including data from 28 studies. No long-term randomized trials were identified, so the review is limited to observational studies. The incremental benefit of RRA in low risk patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer after total or near-total thyroidectomy who are receiving thyroid hormone suppressive therapy remains unclear.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada. sawkaam@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sawka
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Brierley
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: Lehana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thabane
authors.forename: Lorne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rotstein
authors.forename: Amiram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gafni
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Straus
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D018265:Carcinoma, Papillary, Follicular / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes