Abstract
Abstract
Our center has developed a personalized strategy based on objective selection criteria for radioactive iodine (RAI) administration after a total thyroidectomy in ≥1 cm low- and intermediate-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients. These recommendations have been derived from a prospective long-term protocol followed for >8 years on such PTC patients not receiving routine RAI using postsurgical pathology analysis findings in combination with serial stimulated serum thyroglobulin and neck ultrasonography measurements. Our observations have indicated that the vast majority of such PTC patients (116 of 129 = 90%) could safely avoid RAI therapy and that previous evidenced-based clinical risk factors considered as indications for RAI did not correlate with our proposed individualized RAI selection protocol criteria. The routine application of this RAI selection strategy also greatly reduced patient anxiety/inconvenience, potential radiation side effects, and healthcare costs.
Paul G. Walfish has received consulting fees from Sanofi Genzyme Canada and is a shareholder in Proteocyte Diagnostics Incorporated.
Runtime of video: 15 mins 27 secs
This lecture was presented at the 86th Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association, Denver, Colorado, September 24, 2016.
Keywords
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.