Author/Editor     Bešić, Nikola; Vidergar-Kralj, Barbara; Frković-Grazio, Snježana; Movrin-Stanovnik, Tadeja; Auersperg, Marija
Title     The role of radioactive iodine in the treatment of Huerthle cell carcinoma of the thyroid
Type     članek
Source     Thyroid
Vol. and No.     Letnik 13, št. 6
Publication year     2003
Volume     str. 577-84
Language     eng
Abstract     It is generally believed that Hurthle cell thyroid carcinoma (HCTC) does not accumulate radioactive iodine (RAI). The aim of our retrospective study was to find out if, after thyroid surgery and RAI ablation of the thyroid remnant, the metastatic or recurrent HCTC accumulates RAI. We reviewed the charts of 48 patients with histopathologically verified HCTC, who were treated at the Institute of Oncology in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from 1972 to 2000. In 16 patients (11 women, five men; 47-77 years old), who had distant metastases at presentation (eight patients) or recurrence (eight patients), whole-body RAI scanning was performed after the withdrawal of thyroid hormone replacement. Whenever RAI uptake was confirmed, the therapy with 5.6 GBq of RAI was performed. In 11 of 16 patients, the uptake (range 0.1-12%) of RAI was confirmed. Altogether, 46 therapeutic applications of RAI were given. We conclude that whole-body scanning with RAI should be performed in HCTC. RAI may be effective in the treatment of HCTC.
Descriptors     THYROID NEOPLASMS
IODINE RADIOISOTOPES
ADENOMA, OXYPHILIC
NEOPLASM METASTASIS
SURVIVAL ANALYSIS
RETROSPECTIVE STUDIES