title: The role of routine diagnostic radioiodine whole-body scintigraphy in patients with high-risk differentiated thyroid cancer.
abstract: Follow-up diagnostic radioiodine whole-body scintigraphy (DxWBS) is still advised for high-risk patients with differentiated thyroid cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the additional value of DxWBS to stimulated thyroglobulin measurement in high-risk patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The results of DxWBS and thyroglobulin measurements performed 6-12 mo after surgery and radioiodine thyroid remnant ablation in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer were retrospectively evaluated for 112 patients with high-risk features for recurrence (R3/T4 and N1).
  
  
  RESULTS
  One patient had an undetectable thyroglobulin level, with DxWBS results suggestive of cervical recurrence. DxWBS was found to be false-positive. Of the patients with detectable thyroglobulin levels, the DxWBS results were negative in 65 and positive in only 8. The 6 patients positive for thyroglobulin antibody had negative DxWBS results. The remaining patients had an undetectable thyroglobulin level and negative DxWBS results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because undetectable stimulated thyroglobulin levels have a negative predictive value of 100%, DxWBS offers no information additional to recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone-stimulated thyroglobulin measurements in patients with high-risk differentiated thyroid cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. s.g.a.demeer-2@umcutrecht.nl
authors.forename: Siegrid G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: de Meer
authors.forename: Menno R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Vriens
authors.forename: Pierre M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Zelissen
authors.forename: Inne H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Borel Rinkes
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: de Keizer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000032:analysis; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D051598:Whole Body Imaging
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D013954:Thyroglobulin