Life expectancy is reduced in differentiated thyroid cancer patients ≥ 45 years old with extensive local tumor invasion, lateral lymph node, or distant metastases at diagnosis and normal in all other DTC patients.

OBJECTIVE: Differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) generally has a good prognosis. As yet, however, it is unclear whether life expectancy is reduced in these patients and, if so, to what extent. The aim of this study was to determine how the all-cause mortality rate in DTC patients compares to that of the general population. DESIGN: A prospective database study was conducted. PATIENTS: The study included 2011 DTC patients treated in our hospital from 1980-2011. All patients received total thyroidectomy with subsequent (131)I ablation, except for those with an isolated papillary microcarcinoma. Survival data for the general German population were obtained from the German Federal Statistics Agency and matched to our DTC population for age and sex. RESULTS: Patients who were at least 45 yr old at diagnosis and had extensive perithyroidal invasion (UICC/AJCC TNM system, 7th edition, stages IVa and IVb), lateral cervical lymph node metastases (TNM stage IVa), or distant metastases (TNM stage IVc) showed a clearly reduced life expectancy [relative cumulative survival rate (observed:expected) for stage IVc after 20 yr, 0.295; 95% confidence interval, 0.033-0.556]. In patients over 60 yr of age at diagnosis, the loss of life expectancy was (much) greater than for those aged 45-59 yr in all groups. Life expectancy was not reduced in patients with TNM stages I, II, or III (86% of patients). CONCLUSION: Life expectancy is not significantly reduced in 86% of DTC patients; only patients at least 45 yr old with extensive local invasion, lateral lymph node metastases, and/or distant metastases (TNM stages IVa, IVb, and IVc) at diagnosis showed a clearly lower life expectancy.

Impact of moderate vs stringent TSH suppression on survival in advanced differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To assess (i) the influence of Thyrotropin (TSH) suppression at a level of <0·1 mU/l and (ii) whether FT3 and FT4 levels have a prognostic significance independently of TSH values with regard to survival in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) and distant metastases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a retrospective patient chart study, we reviewed survival in 157 DTC patients with distant metastases treated between September 1985 and 1 July 2010. Patients with at least three available FT3 and FT4 values during TSH suppression were eligible. RESULTS: Fifty-three of 157 patients died from DTC. DTC-specific survival was significantly better in patients with a median TSH level ≤0·1 mU/l (median survival 15·8 years) than those with a non-suppressed TSH level (median survival 7·1 years; P < 0·001). However, there was no further improvement in survival caused by TSH suppression to a level ≤ 0·03 mU/l (P = 0·24). FT3 and FT4 levels were also significantly associated with poorer survival; of these, only the prognostic value of FT3 was independent from that of TSH levels. CONCLUSION: The care of patients with DTC and distant metastases is like walking an endocrinological tightrope: non-suppressed TSH levels, that is, >0·1 mU/l, are associated with an impaired prognosis. There is, however, no prognostic benefit from suppressing TSH to levels lower than 0·1 mU/l. On the contrary, an improvement in prognosis might be achieved by keeping FT3 levels as low as possible.

I-131 activities as high as safely administrable (AHASA) for the treatment of children and adolescents with advanced differentiated thyroid cancer.

AIM: Differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) in children and young adults is rare, can be aggressive, and often presents at advanced stages. In a population of young Belarusian patients with advanced DTC after the nuclear reactor accident at Chernobyl, we determined the activities that are as high as safely administrable (AHASA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 180 children and adolescents, we studied 133 courses of I-131 thyroid remnant ablation (median age at ablation, 14.3 yr) and 250 courses of I-131 therapy (median age at therapy, 15.7 yr). Remnant ablation was performed with weight-adapted I-131 activities of a median of 51.8 MBq/kg (range, 23.9-73.8 MBq/kg); and residual disease therapy was performed with a median activity of 98.0 MBq/kg (range, 56.7-164.7 MBq/kg). The radiation absorbed dose to the blood (BD) per unit of activity administered for each treatment was deduced from whole-body retention data measured twice daily using ceiling probes. The AHASA activity was calculated assuming an upper limit of 2 Gy BD. RESULTS: For I-131 ablation, the median weight-adjusted AHASA activity leading to a BD of 2 Gy was 407 MBq/kg (range, 137-661 MBq/kg). In three patients with extensive diffuse pulmonary metastases, the AHASA was lower than 200 MBq/kg. For patients receiving additional I-131 treatments after ablation, a median body weight-adapted AHASA activity of 406 MBq/kg (range, 210-775 MBq/kg) was calculated. CONCLUSION: Children and adolescents with advanced DTC can be treated with I-131 activities of at least 200 MBq/kg. For children with extensive pulmonary metastases, pretherapeutic dosimetry is needed to determine the AHASA.

Success of the postoperative 131I therapy in young Belarusian patients with differentiated thyroid cancer after Chernobyl depends on the radiation absorbed dose to the blood and the thyroglobulin level.

PURPOSE: Differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) in children and young adults is rare but often aggressive and in an advanced stage at diagnosis. In a cohort of young Belarusian patients with advanced DTC after Chernobyl we retrospectively studied parameters influencing the success of the postoperative (131)I therapy. METHODS: Included in the study were 136 patients (83 female, 53 male; median age 14.3 years, range 9.4-22.8 years) who had had total thyroidectomy in Belarus and subsequent (131)I therapy and follow-up in Germany. Of the 136 patients, 34 were classified as M1 and 102 as M0 (N0 1, N1 101). The median weight-adjusted (131)I activity administered after thyroid hormone withdrawal was 52 MBq/kg (range 24-74 MBq/kg). TNM stage, gender, administered activity, whole-body residence time and blood dose during ablation, Tg and TSH levels, date, and age at time of treatment were tested for their effect on the rate of complete remission (CR). CR was defined as a negative scan and a stimulated Tg level of <1 ng/ml at follow-up. RESULTS: CR was observed in 1 of 34 M1 and in 51 of 102 M0 patients after the first treatment. Multivariate analysis in the M0 group identified the Tg level (P < 0.0001 for log(Tg)) and the radiation absorbed dose to the blood (P < 0.001) as independent determinants; all other parameters were unimportant (P > 0.3). The regression model was able to correctly predict CR in 82 of 102 patients (80.4%). CONCLUSION: In children and young adults with advanced DTC, the rate of CR after postoperative (131)I therapy is dependent on the preablative Tg level and the radiation absorbed dose to the blood. Though the present results must be confirmed in a prospective study, they imply that preablative dosimetry may improve rates of CR.

Evaluation of an internet-based e-learning module to introduce nuclear medicine to medical students: a feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: The advent of electronic learning, the so-called e-learning, offers new possibilities for instruction in addition to the traditional face-to-face teaching in the education of medical students. AIM: To evaluate the additional educational value of a voluntary e-learning module in a nuclear medicine course for third-year medical students. METHODS: Twenty exemplary nuclear medicine patient cases from our department were developed for e-learning purposes and presented on the internet using the web-based training program 'CaseTrain'. Subsequently, three selected test cases were handled and evaluated by an unselected population of third-year medical students. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-eight students studied the three patient cases and filled out the evaluation questionnaire completely. The most important result is that both the interest in and the subjective feeling of the knowledge level regarding the specialized field of nuclear medicine had increased significantly after working through the three e-learning cases. Ninety-seven percent of the evaluating students considered the use of computer-based learning useful. The subjective grading of the content of the cases and the handling of the software were graded with high marks by the participants, 1.9 and 2.0, respectively, on a linear scale with 1 being the best and 6 being the worst. CONCLUSION: The addition of e-learning to face-to-face teaching as a form of 'blended learning' is highly appreciated by medical students, and will provide an effective medium for bringing better understanding of nuclear medicine to future colleagues.