Abstract
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Objectives Stimulated thyroglobulin level is of an important role in evaluating disease recurrence in postoperative patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between follow-up stimulated thyroglobulin levels and histopathological factors.
Methods In a retrospective study, three-hundred-ninety-seven patients with DTC were included. Follow-up stimulated thyroglobulin concentrations were measured in five months post treatment with radioiodine. Common histopathological factors were collected: number of foci, size of foci, adjacent tissues invasion, vascular invasion, cervical lymph node involvement.
Results All patients underwent total thyroidectomy or near-total thyroidectomy and radioiodine ablation in three to four weeks postoperation. There were significantly statistic correlations between follow-up stimulated thyroglobulin levels and number of invasive cervical lymph nodes (p=0.03), adjacent tissues invasion (p=0.02), and vascular invasion (p=0.03). But number and size of tumor foci did not show a statistic correlation with follow-up stimulated thyroglobulin levels.
Conclusions Tumor invasion of cervical lymph node, adjacent tissue and vascular can influence follow-up stimulated thyroglobulin levels, and be of predictive value to outcome of radioiodine ablation in patients with DTC.
- © 2009 by Society of Nuclear Medicine