Value of the first serum thyroglobulin level after total thyroidectomy for the diagnosis of metastases from differentiated thyroid carcinoma
- PMID: 10552086
- DOI: 10.1007/s002590050477
Value of the first serum thyroglobulin level after total thyroidectomy for the diagnosis of metastases from differentiated thyroid carcinoma
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic significance of the first serum thyroglobulin (Tg) measurement, performed 40 days after total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma and prior to the ablation of residual thyroid tissue by means of iodine-131 therapy. In a retrospective study we examined 334 consecutive patients followed up for 4-16 years by means of regular Tg measurements, (131)I whole-body scans (WBS) and other diagnostic techniques, if necessary. In 79 patients metastases were discovered (32 lymph node and 47 distant metastases) within 18 months following thyroidectomy. Mean values of first Tg were significantly higher in patients with than in patients without metastases (258.9+/-310.6 vs 15.9+/-19.6 ng/ml; P<0.0001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of data revealed that for first Tg values higher than 69.7 ng/ml, the positive predictive value for the presence of metastases exceeded 90%. No statistically significant correlation was found between first Tg value and either thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) value or percentage of (131)I uptake by residual thyroid tissue. No other parameter (age, histological type, site of metastases, (131)I uptake by metastases) was significantly related to the first Tg value. We conclude that the first Tg measurement after total thyroidectomy provides a useful early diagnostic indication of metastatic disease in spite of the presence of a post-surgical thyroid remnant, and that this holds true regardless of the TSH value and WBS result. This early information is of clinical relevance for patient follow-up.
Comment in
-
Thyroglobulin before ablative radioiodine therapy.Eur J Nucl Med. 2000 Apr;27(4):461. Eur J Nucl Med. 2000. PMID: 10805121 No abstract available.
Similar articles
-
[Predictive value of serum thyroglobulin and diagnostic imaging in post-surgical follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer].Nihon Rinsho. 2007 Nov;65(11):2069-72. Nihon Rinsho. 2007. PMID: 18018572 Review. Japanese.
-
An evaluation of the value of first thyroglobulin determination in the diagnostics of metastases immediately following differentiated thyroid carcinoma surgery.Endokrynol Pol. 2006 Jul-Aug;57(4):370-3. Endokrynol Pol. 2006. PMID: 17006838
-
Follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer.Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2002 Aug;29 Suppl 2:S492-6. doi: 10.1007/s00259-002-0847-9. Epub 2002 Jun 13. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2002. PMID: 12192551 Review.
-
Sensitivity of 123I whole-body scan and thyroglobulin in the detection of metastases or recurrent differentiated thyroid cancer.Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2002 Jun;29(6):768-74. doi: 10.1007/s00259-002-0781-x. Epub 2002 Mar 13. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2002. PMID: 12029550
-
Prognostic value of serial serum thyroglobulin determinations after total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid cancer.J Endocrinol Invest. 2002 Feb;25(2):110-5. doi: 10.1007/BF03343973. J Endocrinol Invest. 2002. PMID: 11929080
Cited by
-
Value of follow-up diagnostic radioiodine scans in differentiated thyroid cancer.Endocr Connect. 2024 Apr 12;13(5):e240007. doi: 10.1530/EC-24-0007. Print 2024 May 1. Endocr Connect. 2024. PMID: 38513355 Free PMC article.
-
Predictive Role of Serum Thyroglobulin after Surgery and before Radioactive Iodine Therapy in Patients with Thyroid Carcinoma.Cancers (Basel). 2023 May 30;15(11):2976. doi: 10.3390/cancers15112976. Cancers (Basel). 2023. PMID: 37296937 Free PMC article.
-
Intermediate-risk thyroid carcinoma: indicators of a poor prognosis.Arch Endocrinol Metab. 2021 May 18;64(6):764-771. doi: 10.20945/2359-3997000000290. Arch Endocrinol Metab. 2021. PMID: 34033287 Free PMC article.
-
A cutoff thyroglobulin value suggestive of distant metastases in differentiated thyroid cancer patients.Braz J Med Biol Res. 2020 Oct 9;53(11):e9781. doi: 10.1590/1414-431X20209781. eCollection 2020. Braz J Med Biol Res. 2020. PMID: 33053096 Free PMC article.
-
Long-term outcome of differentiated thyroid cancer in children and young adults: risk stratification by ATA criteria and assessment of pre-ablation stimulated thyroglobulin as predictors of disease persistence.Endocrine. 2020 Dec;70(3):566-574. doi: 10.1007/s12020-020-02378-2. Epub 2020 Jun 13. Endocrine. 2020. PMID: 32533509
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical
Miscellaneous