The role of radioactive iodine therapy in young patients with papillary thyroid cancer

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the outcome of postoperative radioactive iodine (I-131) therapy in young patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

Materials and methods: This retrospective study reviewed the medical records of primary PTC patients, 18 years old or younger, who were treated at Chang Gung Medical Center in Taiwan from January 1977 to December 2006. Forty-eight patients who had undergone postoperative I-131 therapy with a minimum dose of 1.1 GBq (30 mCi) were enrolled in this retrospective study. At the end of follow-up, patients were classified as "local disease" or "distant metastases" according to I-131 scan results.

Results: The I-131 whole-body scan results revealed "local disease" in 34 patients, and "distant metastases" in 14 patients. Patients with distant metastases received significantly larger doses of I-131 than those with local disease (P = 0.0086). One-month postoperative serum thyroglobulin differed markedly between patients with local disease and those with distant metastases (P = 0.001). After a mean follow-up period of 11.2 +/- 5.7 years, overall survival in the 48 patients was 97.9%.

Conclusions: I-131 therapy is effective for young PTC patients, and should be given to all young PTC patients postoperatively in addition to thyroid hormone administration, particularly those with distant metastases.