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EANM Dosimetry Committee Series on Standard Operational Procedures for Pre-Therapeutic Dosimetry II. Dosimetry prior to radioiodine therapy of benign thyroid diseases

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Abstract

The EANM Dosimetry Committee Series “Standard Operational Procedures for Pre-Therapeutic Dosimetry” (SOP) provides advice to scientists and clinicians on how to perform patient-specific absorbed dose assessments. This particular SOP describes how to tailor the therapeutic activity to be administered for radioiodine therapy of benign thyroid diseases such as Graves’ disease or hyperthyroidism. Pretherapeutic dosimetry is based on the assessment of the individual 131I kinetics in the target tissue after the administration of a tracer activity. The present SOP makes proposals on the equipment to be used and guides the user through the measurements. Time schedules for the measurement of the fractional 131I uptake in the diseased tissue are recommended and it is shown how to calculate from these datasets the therapeutic activity necessary to administer a predefined target dose in the subsequent therapy. Potential sources of error are pointed out and the inherent uncertainties of the procedures depending on the number of measurements are discussed. The theoretical background and the derivation of the listed equations from compartment models of the iodine kinetics are explained in a supplementary file published online only.

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Disclaimer

This guideline intends to guide the user through a series of measurements and calculations which the authors consider to be at present the best and most reproducible practical procedures. It summarizes the views of the authors assisted by the EANM Dosimetry Committee, the EANM Physics Committee, and the EANM Therapy Committee. Not all of the generic recommendations are suitable for all patients in all settings. It remains the responsibility of the physician to select the most adequate procedure for the individual patient. Different procedures may lead to the same or similar results. The recommendations should be taken in the context of good practice of nuclear medicine, and do not substitute for national and international legal or regulatory provisions. The guidelines have been brought to the attention of the National Societies of Nuclear Medicine.

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Correspondence to Michael Lassmann.

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G. Flux, L. Strigari and M. Lassmann are members of the EANM Dosimetry Committee; W. Eschner is a member of the EANM Physics Committee; and M. Luster is a member of the EANM Therapy Committee.

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Hänscheid, H., Canzi, C., Eschner, W. et al. EANM Dosimetry Committee Series on Standard Operational Procedures for Pre-Therapeutic Dosimetry II. Dosimetry prior to radioiodine therapy of benign thyroid diseases. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 40, 1126–1134 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-013-2387-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-013-2387-x

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