Positron emission tomography and positron emission tomography-CT evaluation for recurrent papillary thyroid carcinoma: meta-analysis and literature review.
BACKGROUND
Sensitivity and specificity data regarding positron emission tomography (PET) and PET/CT for surveillance of well-differentiated thyroid cancer does not evaluate subtypes separately. Papillary and follicular thyroid carcinoma may have different characteristics on PET/CT imaging and so should be investigated individually.


METHODS
This is a systematic meta-analysis of studies using PET for surveillance in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.


RESULTS
Using different statistical models, combined sensitivity of PET and PET/CT for papillary thyroid carcinoma was 77% by the fixed effect model and 82% by the random-effects model, specificity was calculated as 85% and 84%, respectively. Meta-regression was performed to evaluate whether I-131 negativity affected PET positivity; no correlation between I-131 negativity and PET sensitivity or specificity was found.


CONCLUSIONS
PET and PET/CT are useful modalities in surveillance of papillary thyroid carcinoma. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine papillary thyroid carcinoma independently of other subtypes of well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma.
Miller
Mia E
ME
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Chen
Qiaolin
Q
Elashoff
David
D
Abemayor
Elliot
E
St John
Maie
M
D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed