Effects of recombinant human thyroid stimulating hormone on 131I therapy for the treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer.

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to compare the advantages and disadvantages of the combined application of recombinant human thyroid stimulating hormone (rhTSH) with thyroid hormone withdrawal (THW) and THW alone prior to 131I therapy for the treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer. Four indicators were compared between the experimental group, who received a combined therapeutic method of rhTSH with THW, and the control group, who received THW therapy alone. With the exception of the elimination half-time of 131I in the blood in the experimental group, which was significantly shorter compared with that in the control group, the other three indicators, including the urinary iodine concentration, the relative 131I uptake ratio of the neck lesions and the one-time cure rate, were not significantly different between the two groups. In addition, the treatment efficacy of 131I therapy exhibited no statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups. However, in the experimental group, the residence time of 131I in the blood was significantly shorter compared with that in the control group, indicating that the irradiation damage of radioactive iodine exposure to the non-target tissues was lower in the experimental group when compared with the control group. In addition, no evident hypothyroidism was observed in the patients. Thus, the combined application of rhTSH with THW prior to 131I therapy was demonstrated to be superior to the THW therapy alone.