Radioiodine uptake in thyroid remnants during therapy after tracer dosimetry Journal Article


Authors: Yeung, H. W. D.; Humm, J. L.; Larson, S. M.
Article Title: Radioiodine uptake in thyroid remnants during therapy after tracer dosimetry
Abstract: Our objective was to evaluate the effect of a diagnostic tracer dose of 131I on the uptake of the therapeutic dose of 131I in the ablation of a thyroid remnant or residual tumor in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer. Methods: Twelve consecutive patients referred for a dosimetric study and subsequent radioiodine treatment of focal neck uptake of 131I were studied. The 24-h (in 1 case, 48-h) neck activity was calculated by the region-of-interest method, after both dosimetric and therapeutic administrations. The focal activity in the neck was corrected for decay and compared with the total activity administered to obtain the percentage uptake at 24 h. This procedure was performed for both the scanning dose (range, 19.8-196.1 MBq; mean, 85.1 MBq; median, 40 MBq) and the therapeutic dose (range, 1.073-5.713 GBq; mean, 2.991 GBq). The uptake of the therapeutic dose was then expressed as a percentage of the uptake of the diagnostic dose (%T/D). Counting rate linearity was established up to 350 MBq in the field of view of the γ camera used in the study. Results: Thirteen of a total of 16 lesions exhibited reduced uptake from the therapeutic dose, 2 remained the same, and in 1 the uptake actually increased from 0.26% to 1.01%. The %T/D ranged from 7.0% to 388.5%, with a mean of 71%. If the lesion with increased uptake is excluded, the range becomes 7.0%-102.1%, with a mean of 50%. Linear regression between the percentage uptake of the diagnostic dose to that of the therapeutic dose results in a slope of 0.42, with a correlation coefficient of only 0.75. We were unable to accurately calculate the radiation dose to the lesion from the diagnostic activity of 131I, because of uncertainty about the tumor mass. Conclusion: The percentage uptake of the therapeutic dose is on average only one half of that predicted from the dosimetric uptake in thyroid remnants after surgery, even though the median dosimetric dose was only 40 MBq. This reduced uptake should be accounted for in the therapeutic prescription for thyroid ablation or treatment of residual thyroid cancer. We postulate that this effect is caused by radiation damage from the tracer dose during dosimetry.
Keywords: clinical article; radiation dose; radiotherapy dosage; radiation injury; iodine 131; radioactive iodine; drug uptake; iodine radioisotopes; neoplasm, residual; dosimetry; radiation measurement; radioactivity; thyroid cancer; thyroid neoplasms; tracer; radiation dose distribution; scintillation camera; radioiodine therapy; humans; human; priority journal; article; stunning
Journal Title: Journal of Nuclear Medicine
Volume: 41
Issue: 6
ISSN: 0161-5505
Publisher: Society of Nuclear Medicine  
Date Published: 2000-06-01
Start Page: 1082
End Page: 1085
Language: English
PUBMED: 10855639
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:
Notes: Export Date: 18 November 2015 -- Source: Scopus
Citation Impact
MSK Authors
  1. Henry W D Yeung
    126 Yeung
  2. John Laurence Humm
    433 Humm
  3. Steven M Larson
    958 Larson