RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The long-term follow-up results of the patients with non-FDG-avid asymptomatic thyroid nodules: Potentials of FDG-PET for decision of management strategies
JF Journal of Nuclear Medicine
JO J Nucl Med
FD Society of Nuclear Medicine
SP 2084
OP 2084
VO 53
IS supplement 1
A1 Shibata, Koji
A1 Uno, Kimiichi
A1 Momose, Toshimitsu
A1 Otomo, Kuni
YR 2012
UL http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/53/supplement_1/2084.abstract
AB 2084 Objectives The aim of this study is to evaluate how we should manage the patients with incidentally detected thyroid nodules, especially non-FDG-avid lesions, analyzing long term follow up results of patients with asymptomatic thyroid lesions. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the patients who have been incidentally detected solid tumors or cystic tumors with solid components in thyroid with ultrasonography, and has been performed FDG-PET or PET/CT simultaneously. 614 patients who were followed up for more than 24 months were enrolled. These cases were categorized into two groups, cases with focal/nodular FDG uptakes in thyroids (30 cases) and without focal FDG uptakes (584 cases), and we analyzed whether these thyroid lesions had progressed or not. Results Follow up intervals and tumor sizes of these two groups (FDG-avid group and non-FDG-avid group) were 56.5 ± 20.5 months and 51.3 ± 22.9 months, 15.9 ± 8.2mm and 10.5mm ± 6.8mm, respectively. Of the 30 cases with FDG-avid lesions, 5 had progressed and needed further inspections. On the other hands, No tumor in 584 cases with non-FDG-avid lesions had increased significantly during the observation periods. Conclusions We still need to follow up the patients with non-FDG avid thyroid tumors for a long time, because false-negative rates for thyroid cancers in FDG-PET is not negligible and throid cancers, especially papillary carcionomas, is generally indolent and late to progress. However, study indicated that few, if any, non-FDG avid thyroid lesions might progress within at least 3-5 years and incidental thyroid nodules without focal/nodular FDG uptake, detected by such as CT components of PET/CT or screening ultrasonography, might not need invasive inspections or close/intensive observations