I-131 Remnant Ablation after Thyroidectomy for Papillary or Follicular Thyroid Cancer

Patient Population

Adult patients with papillary or follicular thyroid carcinoma (well-differentiated) who have undergone total-, near-total-, or sub-total thyroidectomy (surgery more extensive than resection of the affected lobe and isthmus) with gross complete resection of disease.

This evidence summary does not apply to patients with medullary, anaplastic, thyroglossal duct, or familial thyroid carcinoma, or to patients with a history of therapeutic radiation exposure prior to diagnosis of thyroid cancer. The evidence summary also does not apply to patients with concurrent thyrotoxicosis, pregnancy, or renal failure.

Research Question(s)

Does I-131 remnant ablation decrease long-term rates of disease-related mortality, locoregional recurrence in the neck, or distant metastases in patients with papillary or follicular thyroid carcinoma (well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma) who have undergone total-, near-total-, or sub-total thyroidectomy (surgery more extensive than resection of the affected lobe and isthmus) with gross complete resection of disease?