Use of surgical gamma probe for the detection of lymph node metastases in differentiated thyroid cancer.
Tumori
; 86(4): 367-9, 2000.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-11016732
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) after total or near-total thyroidectomy require 131I therapy. After surgery the persistence of lymph node metastases in our series of patients was frequent (30%). Such patients are preferentially treated with radioiodine and shifted to surgical reintervention when the nodal lesions persist after two 131I treatments.AIM:
Use of an intraoperative radioactive probe (C-TraK) to allow a more radical surgical approach in thyroid cancer patients submitted to surgery for lymph node metastases. METHODS ANDRESULTS:
After adequate withdrawal of L-thyroxine suppressive therapy six patients were given high 131I doses followed by post-therapy WBS which demonstrated cervical activity in 5 patients and peri-jugular activity in 1. Surgery with the help of a gamma probe allowed to detect and remove all metastatic nodes. After excision all surgical specimens showed higher radioactive counts with respect to the background. The post-surgical scan showed the disappearance of all areas of 131I uptake. Histology confirmed the presence of metastatic lesions from papillary thyroid cancer.CONCLUSIONS:
We conclude that the use of a gamma probe can be successful in patients with metastatic neck lesions resistant to 131I treatment, particularly in patients with nonpalpable lesions.
Search on Google
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Thyroid Neoplasms
/
Carcinoma, Papillary
/
Gamma Cameras
/
Lymph Nodes
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
Tumori
Year:
2000
Document type:
Article