131 I therapy in differentiated thyroid carcinoma: M. D. Anderson hospital experience

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Abstract
The therapeutic response and survival rates of 352 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma who had received radioactive I therapy since 1951 were studied. Of these patients, 72% had metastases to the cervical lymph nodes, lungs, bone or other viscera. Of all patients, 70% showed complete remission; 30% showed partial response or recurrence of disease or both. Patients with metastases before therapy had a higher incidence of recurrence than those who had localized thyroid disease (32.4 vs. 15.1%). Of these, 97 patients had recurrent disease. In 24 of these patients, the recurrent tumor failed to take I, indicating change in its I-concentrating characteristics. Of the 352 patients, 44 (12.5%) died of progressive thyroid carcinoma, all were over 40 yr of age at the time of initial diagnosis. Mean survival of patients with metastic disease who were over 40 yr of age at initial diagnosis was significantly lower than that of patients under 40 yr of age (6.2 yr vs. 11.5 yr). Patients with recurrent metastases unresponsive to surgery or radioactive I therapy were treated with palliative radiotherapy or chemotherapy or both. They responded poorly and died within a few months.