Investigation and treatment of metastatic thyroid carcinoma with radioiodine

Abstract

A survey has been made of all patients with metastatic cancer referred for radioiodine diagnosis and or therapy at the Cancer Institute, Melbourne, between 1955 and 1965. Iodine-131 was used in all cases and a manual scan made 24 hours later — using a single hole collimator. Scans were made on 98 patients with metastases and 67 of these had carcinoma of the thyroid: 17 patients had an uptake of radioiodine in the metastases, of which 14 were treated with therapeutic doses. The diagnostic and therapeutic uses of radioiodine are discussed and methods of improving the results indicated. In the authors' series, 9 patients benefitted from treatment with I-131 and 2 patients with pulmonary metastases appear to be cured. A survey has been made of all patients with metastatic cancer referred for radioiodine diagnosis and or therapy at the Cancer Institute, Melbourne, between 1955 and 1965. Iodine-131 was used in all cases and a manual scan made 24 hours later — using a single hole collimator. Scans were made on 98 patients with metastases and 67 of these had carcinoma of the thyroid: 17 patients had an uptake of radioiodine in the metastases, of which 14 were treated with therapeutic doses. The diagnostic and therapeutic uses of radioiodine are discussed and methods of improving the results indicated. In the authors' series, 9 patients benefitted from treatment with I-131 and 2 patients with pulmonary metastases appear to be cured.