Outpatient administration of radioactive iodine after total thyroidectomy for pediatric thyroid cancer: a report of three cases.
Radioactive iodine is used as an anti-cancer reagent for papillary and follicular thyroid carcinomas. Patients that are administered a large dose of radioactive iodine are required to stay alone in an isolated room for several days. Some young children with thyroid carcinoma who cannot take care of themselves are not able to undergo this therapy. We tried outpatient administration of (131)I for these patients. In Japan, administration for outpatients is restricted to 500 MBq (13.5 mCi). We administrated 13 mCi (131)I to three patients suffering from pediatric thyroid carcinomas. One patient with recurrent follicular carcinoma in the neck showed complete loss of the thyroid bed and an undetectable level of serum thyroglobulin 7 months after the first administration of (131)I, and no further recurrence was observed after 5 years. Another patient with multiple lung metastases showed weakened uptake of (131)I in the lung and an evident decrease in serum thyroglobulin after administration. However, the last patient with lung metastases with a low (131)I uptake showed no evident change in either (131)I uptake in the lung nor the serum thyroglobulin level. Administration of 13 mCi (131)I was effective in two of three patients. Thus, it is worth considering this therapy as a practical option for pediatric thyroid carcinoma in the countries in which outpatient administration of a large dose of (131)I is restricted.
Takano
Toru
T
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 D2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
Yane
Katsunari
K
Oue
Takaharu
T
Otsuki
Naoki
N
Nibu
Ken-ichi
K
Hidaka
Yoh
Y
D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D000367:Age Factors; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes