99mTc-pertechnetate-avid metastases from differentiated thyroid cancer are prone to benefit from 131I therapy: A prospective observational study

Medicine (Baltimore). 2017 Aug;96(33):e7631. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000007631.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the contribution of neck and chest Tc-pertechnetate scan to the management of postoperative patients with suspicious metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), particularly to the prediction of response to radioiodine (I) therapy. Just before I administration, a total of 184 postoperative DTC patients with stimulated serum thyroglobulin (ssTg) >10 ng/mL were enrolled to undergo neck and chest Tc-pertechnetate scan, which were directly compared with post-therapeutic I scan to determine the concordance of site and number of metastatic lesions. The percentage changes in ssTg between Tc-pertechnetate-avid group and Tc-pertechnetate-nonavid group were compared, and the response to I in both groups was analyzed according to the nature of Tc-pertechnetate avidity as well. The percentages of concordance between Tc-pertechnetate and I scan in detecting metastases were 65.7% and 26.0% in per-patient and per-site analyses with low unweighted kappa, respectively. Tc-pertechnetate scan led to a change in therapeutic decision making in 19/184 (10.3%) patients. In 72 patients with I-avid metastases, the ssTg in Tc-pertechnetate-avid group (n = 13) decreased significantly compared with that in Tc-pertechnetate-nonavid group (n = 59) (median: -81.56% vs -48.14%; Z = -4.276, P = .000). The difference of therapeutic response between Tc-pertechnetate-avid group and Tc-pertechnetate-nonavid group was statistically significant (χ = 8.4; P = .03). Although the consistency between Tc-pertechnetate scan before I administration and post-therapy I scan in detecting metastases is low, identifying metastases in postoperative DTC patients with elevated ssTg via Tc-pertechnetate scan prior to I therapy provides incremental value for therapeutic decision making. Notably, patients with Tc-pertechnetate-avid metastases may be more prone to benefit from I therapy than those with Tc-pertechnetate-nonavid metastases.

Publication types

  • Observational Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Child
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Iodine Radioisotopes / administration & dosage*
  • Lymphatic Metastasis / diagnostic imaging*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neck / diagnostic imaging
  • Prospective Studies
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / administration & dosage*
  • Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography Computed Tomography / methods*
  • Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m / administration & dosage*
  • Thorax / diagnostic imaging
  • Thyroglobulin / blood
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / surgery
  • Thyrotropin / blood
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Iodine Radioisotopes
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Thyrotropin
  • Thyroglobulin
  • Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m