title: Radioiodine-remnant ablation in low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer: pros.
abstract: Differentiated thyroid carcinomas are typically treated with total thyroidectomy as initial therapy. Subsequent radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation destroys post-surgical thyroid remnants, can additionally provide adjuvant therapy of residual and metastatic thyroid cancers, and enhances the sensitivity and specificity of further diagnostic studies. There is current controversy regarding whether a large number of patients, broadly considered to have "low-risk" disease, should be provided RAI ablation. This is consequent to over-reliance on short-term studies, under-appreciation of the value of RAI remnant ablation, and inflation of the side effects of RAI therapy. A balanced assessment of all of these issues provides justification to utilize post-surgical radioiodine ablation, even in cases that are considered low risk on the basis of surgical findings.
authors.affiliation: Thyroid Oncology Program, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, 800 Rose Street, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA, kenneth.ain@uky.edu.
authors.forename: Kenneth B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Ain
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes