title: Positron emission tomography and positron emission tomography-CT evaluation for recurrent papillary thyroid carcinoma: meta-analysis and literature review.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
authors.forename: Mia E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Qiaolin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Elashoff
authors.forename: Elliot
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abemayor
authors.forename: Maie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: St John
mesh_terms: 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