Follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer: determination of serum thyroglobulin in place of routine 131i scintigraphy?
Schatz, H.; Grebe, S.F.; Horn, W.; Müller, H.
Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift 96(10): 389-393
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0043-5325 PMID: 6475061 Document Number: 221631
A comparison was conducted in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma still under 131I therapy (n = 18) between 2 mCi-131I scans, posttherapeutic scans and radioimmunologically measurable serum thyroglobulin (TG). All 3 parameters were positive in only 9 cases; among the other 9 patients TG appeared to be the better indicator (ratio 5:1) of residual tumour tissue than the 2 mCi-131I scan. In a second group of patients who had completed 131I therapy the 2 mCi scan and TG were compared (n = 21). Both indices were negative in 15 cases, whereas TG was positive in 6 patients in spite of a negative scan. TG generally remained within the clearly positive range also during T4 therapy. TG was highest in metastatic disease and practically uninfluenced by T4, i.e. by the endogenous TSH level. TG antibodies were found in 15% of cases, generally with low titres only; this did not interfere with TG determination as tumour marker. In summary, TG measurement appears to be superior to 2 mCi-131I scans for follow-up of cases with differentiated thyroid carcinoma.