Abstract
Despite numerous publications regarding nontoxic goiter (NTG) treatment and an increasing interest in patients' quality of life, few studies present the outcome of 131-I treatment from the patients' perspective. Our study's main aim was to verify whether there is any improvement in life quality following 131-I treatment. Thirty-five patients with NTG qualified to participate in the study. All patients completed a Thyroid-Related Health-Related Quality of Life (Thy-R-HRQoL) questionnaire created by us and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form (SF-36), right before and 1 year after 131-I. We observed an improvement in six out of eight SF-36 and three out of seven Thy-R-HRQoL domains. In comparison with the control group, we observed worse results in two out of eight, prior to treatment, and one out of eight SF-36 afterward, as well as in all Thy-R-HRQoL domains. We did not find any correlation between improvement of Thy-R-HRQoL and SF-36 and goiter size reduction, except for Bodily Pain. There was also no correlation between improvement of SF-36 and Thy-R-HRQoL domains, and goiter size before treatment. The older the patient, the less noticeable improvement was observed in Physical and Social Functioning, and Vitality in SF-36, but age had no influence on the assessment by Thy-R-HRQoL. Radioiodine treatment improves life quality in patients with NTG. Use of the Health-Related Quality of Life questionnaire should be taken into consideration when evaluating life quality of patients with NTG. Relentless pursuit of maximal goiter size reduction in 131-I treatment is worth consideration. In our study, life quality improvement did not depend directly on the goiter size reduction. Life quality improvement after 131-I might not depend on initial goiter size, and for certain domains of SF-36 might be less clearly expressed in older patients.
Highlights
Radioiodine (131-I) administration is an ideal alternative, especially in patients disqualified from surgical treatment or unwilling to undergo surgery
No statistically significant Social Functioning (SF)-36 and Thy-R-Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) score differences were observed between l-thyroxine substituting and non-substituting groups, both before and after 131-I treatment
While investigating whether age of patients had any impact on SF-36 improvement (SF-36 difference), we found a negative correlation between changes in SF-36 and patient’s age in three out of eight scales: Physical Functioning (PF), VT, and SF
Summary
Radioiodine (131-I) administration is an ideal alternative, especially in patients disqualified from surgical treatment or unwilling to undergo surgery. The main aim of 131-I treatment is maximal reduction of thyroid volume [1, 2]. It is known that 131-I administration reduces goiter size an average of 40–60% [1, 3]. Recombinant human thyrotropin was recently used to enhance therapeutic results [4]. It is worth posing the question of whether greater goiter size reduction truly leads to greater patient satisfaction. Is relentless pursuit of maximal thyroid volume reduction what patients expect from treatment? Can patients with below median thyroid volume reduction find treatment results satisfactory and experience an improvement of their well-being as well? Is relentless pursuit of maximal thyroid volume reduction what patients expect from treatment? Last but not least, can patients with below median thyroid volume reduction find treatment results satisfactory and experience an improvement of their well-being as well? We attempt to answer these questions based on collected data
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call