title: Thyroid carcinoma uptake of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose in patients with elevated serum thyroglobulin and negative 131I scintigraphy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if FDG-PET results can predict for outcome in thyroid cancer patients with elevated Tg and negative I-131 imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective review of 76 patients who had elevated serum Tg and negative (131)I scintigraphy and who underwent FDG-PET. After FDG-PET, patients underwent neck dissection or radiation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 51 patients with positive FDG-PET had a 5-year survival of 63% compared to 100% (p<0.049) for the 25 patients with negative PET. Patients with FDG-avid disease isolated to the lymph nodes had 5-year CSS of 91% compared to 32% (p=0.0033) for those with disease outside the regional lymph nodes. Twenty-nine patients with disease isolated to the regional lymph nodes underwent salvage neck dissection and 22 remain NED after 28 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Negative FDG-PET with elevated Tg predicts an excellent outcome. FDG-avid disease isolated to the regional lymph nodes had a low likelihood of death due to thyroid cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, Mailstop #90-38-635, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. kcreach@radonc.wustl.edu
authors.forename: Kimberly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Creach
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nussenbaum
authors.forename: Barry A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: Perry W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Grigsby
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000097:blood*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D013954:Thyroglobulin