[Outcomes of long-term combined treatment in follicular thyroid carcinoma].
The aim was to analyze the impact of combined treatment (thyroidectomy + radioactive iodine treatment + hormonotherapy with thyroxine) on the outcomes of patients with follicular thyroid carcinoma.


METHODS
This retrospective study included 448 patients with follicular carcinoma (394 females, 54 males, mean age of 48 years (95% CI, 46-50 years) who were treated at the Institute of Oncology, Vilnius University, from 1982 to 2006. All the patients underwent thyroidectomy. Hypothyroid patients 3-12 weeks after surgical treatment were treated with moderate radioiodine doses (1.11-3.7 GBq), and these doses were administered every 3-4 months. The patients with follicular thyroid carcinoma were given suppressive doses of thyroxine after combined treatment. The patients treated were regularly observed by gamma camera; every 6-12 months, serum thyroglobulin was evaluated.


RESULTS
The remnants of thyroid tissue were detected in all 448 patients after thyroidectomy and radioiodine therapy. Radioiodine at mean total doses of 5.6+/-0.2 GBq was used to destroy the remnants of thyroid tissue. For patients with disseminated forms of follicular thyroid carcinoma, mean total radioiodine doses of 19.5+/-3.1 GBq were used. Majority (91.2%) of the patients were euthyroid or hyperthyroid after the treatment with thyroid hormone. All the patients treated had the level of serum thyroglobulin of 1.1+/-0.2 ng/mL. The overall 10-, 20-, and 30-year survival of patients with follicular thyroid cancer, who received combined treatment, was 91.2%, 81.9%, and 77.1%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Combined treatment (thyroidectomy + radioactive iodine treatment + hormonotherapy with thyroxine) administered to the patients with follicular thyroid carcinoma is highly effective, because overall 10-, 20-, 30-year survival was 91.2%, 81.9%, 77.1%, respectively.
Baranauskas
Zenonas
Z
Institute of Oncology, Vilnius Universitety, Santar08660 Vilnius, Lithuania. zenonas.baranauskas@vuoi.lt
Valuckas
Konstantinas Povilas
KP
Tiskevicius
Sigitas
S
D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000097:blood; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D013974:Thyroxine