 |
|
Molecular imaging enables earlier, individualized treatment of thyroid cancer
January 05, 2009Physicians now able to accurately distinguish cancerous lymph nodes from healthy tissue in cancer patients, according to article in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine
Reston, Va.-In a study to determine the diagnostic value of molecular imaging in nodal staging of patients with thyroid cancer, researchers were able for the first time to accurately distinguish between cancerous cells in regional lymph nodes and normal residual thyroid tissue directly after surgery.
According to the researchers, the demonstration or exclusion of cancer spread (metastasis) in regional lymph nodes plays a major role in treating the disease since all patients with lymph node metastases are considered to be at high risk for recurrence.
Currently, patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) who have had their thyroid removed are treated with radioactive iodine, which effectively zeros in on and kills any remaining cancerous thyroid cells. Because one of the functions of the thyroid gland is to absorb iodine from the blood, radioiodine is taken up by any thyroid tissue not removed by surgery, including cancerous cells spreading to other body parts, such as lymph nodes. In addition to emitting electrons that destroy the tissue harboring the radionuclide, radioactive iodine emits photons suitable for imaging.
"Normal thyroid tissue as well as residual cancer cells concentrate radioiodine. Performed after ingestion of radioiodine, SPECT-CT provides three-dimensional images of the distribution of the radionuclide in the human body and is therefore used for staging this type of cancer," said Torsten Kuwert, MD, co-author of the article. "Incorporated at first treatment, SPECT-CT allows us to better stratify patients into treatment groups."
In the study, 57 patients received radioiodine therapy. Afterwards, a SPECT-CT camera was rotated around the patients at a variety of angles to capture where the radioactivity was occurring. SPECT imaging can locate cells in the body that are not behaving normally, but does not provide the detailed, X-ray-like images that CT imaging can. The hybrid camera, however, is able to reveal both the malignant cell activity and the exact anatomical location.
"With SPECT-CT imaging, we were able to determine tumor spread much earlier than before," said Daniela Schmidt, MD, another co-author of the article. "Earlier detection will lead to earlier individualized treatment of this potentially deadly cancer."
The researchers also reported that this information led to a revision of the original diagnosis in 35 percent of the study participants. The images reclassified as benign six of 11 lesions that had been considered lymph node metastases and 11 of 15 lesions considered to be indeterminate.
"Our data suggest that SPECT-CT should be used as a routine procedure in DTC patients at the first radioiodine treatment," said Kuwert. "By upstaging or downstaging disease, this hybrid imaging tool may alter the management of more than one-third of patients with the disease."
According to the American Cancer Society, DTC is the most common form of thyroid cancer and one of the success stories in the war on cancer. Since the advent of radioiodine therapy, it has been considered one of the more curable cancers. In 2009, about 37,340 new cases of thyroid cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. Of the new cases, about 28,410 will occur in women, and 8,930 in men.
Society of Nuclear Medicine
Thyroid Cancer Current Events and Thyroid Cancer News RSSNewly revised guidelines for managing thyroid cancer published in Thyroid journal
The American Thyroid Association has released new, revised Management Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer.
Study examines complications of thyroid surgery in older patients
In a study of patients undergoing thyroid surgery performed by a single surgeon, older adults did not appear to have more complications than younger patients.
Thyroid surgery safe for older patients, study finds
Thyroid surgery is safe for older patients, say physicians who found only slight differences in rates of complications and hospital readmissions in a multi-year study.
Researchers pinpoint a new enemy for tumor-suppressor p53
Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have identified a protein that marks the tumor suppressor p53 for destruction, providing a potential new avenue for restoring p53 in cancer cells.
Vandetanib shows clinical benefit when combined with docetaxel for lung cancer
When combined with standard chemotherapy, an international Phase III trial has shown that the oral targeted therapy vandetanib improves progression-free survival for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
First comprehensive guidelines for managing medullary thyroid carcinoma published in Thyroid journal
New guidelines designed to standardize and optimize the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of patients with Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma (MTC), an uncommon and challenging form of thyroid cancer, have been developed by the American Thyroid Association.
Drug that targets vasculature growth attacks aggressive thyroid cancer
A medication that helps stop the growth of new blood vessels has produced dramatic benefits for some patients with aggressive thyroid cancer, research from Mayo Clinic indicates.
Metastatic bone disease patients can walk in Lazarus' footsteps
Osteoplasty-a highly effective minimally invasive procedure to treat the painful effects of metastatic bone disease by injecting bone cement to support weakened bones-provides immediate and substantial pain relief, often presenting individuals who are suffering terribly with the miraculous so-called "Lazarus effect," according to researchers at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 34th Annual Scientific Meeting.
Mayo Clinic Researchers Find Experimental Therapy Turns on Tumor Suppressor Gene in Cancer Cells
Researchers at Mayo Clinic have found that the experimental drug they are testing to treat a deadly form of thyroid cancer turns on a powerful tumor suppressor capable of halting cell growth. Few other cancer drugs have this property, they say.
Researchers discover atomic bomb effect results in adult-onset thyroid cancer
Radiation from the atomic bomb blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945, likely rearranged chromosomes in some survivors who later developed papillary thyroid cancer as adults, according to Japanese researchers.
More Thyroid Cancer Current Events and Thyroid Cancer News Articles
 |
The Thyroid Cancer Book by M. Sara Rosenthal; Ph.D. (Author) M. Sara Rosenthal, Ph.D., bestselling author of The Thyroid Sourcebook (recommended by The New York Times), The Thyroid Sourcebook for Women and The Hypothyroid Sourcebook has just published The Thyroid Cancer Book, the only consumer book to date devoted to thyroid cancer. A thyroid cancer survivor herself, Rosenthal wrote the book she wishes she'd had when diagnosed in 1983. The Thyroid Cancer Book explains all forms of thyroid cancer and its treatment in plain language. It was written in consultation with the leading medical experts on thyroid cancer in North America, and is the only book of its kind in the world. It includes extensive information on: * Significant risk factors for developing the disease, and how to find and investigate lumps in the neck |
 |
Thyroid Cancer: A Guide for Patients by D. Van Nostrand (Author), G. Bloom (Author), L. Wartofsky (Author) This book is a valuable and extensive source of information about thyroid cancer and is specifically written for the patient with thyroid cancer. However, family and friends of patients who have thyroid cancer will also find this book useful. The book discusses a wide spectrum of aspects about thyroid nodules and cancer. It is discusses the basics of the thyroid gland, the evaluation of thyroid nodules, the various types of thyroid cancer, their prognosis, and the initial diagnostic evaluation and treatment of the four major types of thyroid cancer. This includes the role of surgery and other treatments. The book also discusses diets, hormone treatment, and thyroid cancer in children and adolescents. One chapter presents the personal stories of several patients, who have or... |
 |
Quick FACTS Thyroid Cancer: What you need to knowNow (ACS Quick Facts Series) by American Cancer Society (Author) What people need to know-right from the start-about their Thyroid cancer More than 1.3 million Americans will be diagnosed with various forms of cancer this year. They, their families, and their caregivers will all be seeking information about their specific cancer type. This guide from the experts at the American Cancer Society gives them what they need to know, right from the start. |
 |
Essentials of Thyroid Cancer Management (Cancer Treatment and Research) by Robert J. Amdur (Editor), Ernest L. Mazzaferri (Editor) This volume outlines patient care from diagnosis through various treatments for thyroid cancer patients. It serves as a state-of-the-art reference for clinicians providing comprehensive information on the scope of this disease, including surgery, nuclear medicine treatments, recurrence and metastases. Reference information is included for both physicians and thyroid cancer patients. |
 |
Thyroid Cancer for Beginners by Glenda Shepherd (Author) Thyroid Cancer For Beginners I hope will be informative for anyone newly diagnosed. It charts my four-year journey from first finding a lump in my neck, through surgery to remove the thyroid gland and subsequently being given a diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancer. Also, the reader will find out what happens during radioactive Iodine treatment, and how I felt at the time after having to undergo further surgery to remove cancerous lymph nodes some two years later. It includes snippets of family life, and the effect my illness had on my immediate family. |
 |
The Purple Butterfly: Diary of a thyroid cancer patient by Susan Hibberd (Author) ’The Purple Butterfly’ cameos a year in the life of a thyroid cancer patient. Restrained and sparsely written, it gives the reader a deep insight into the mind of someone who is balancing on the edge of hysteria, yet still feels an obligation to ‘put on a brave face’. A 'must-read' for anyone supporting a friend or relative through a serious illness - this book tells you what he or she never will. The volume also contains ‘Flying with the Purple Butterfly, which is a manual for those about to undergo radioactive iodine treatment. Based on personal experience, this the first time this information has been published in the UK. Background: ‘The Purple Butterfly’ is not a work of fiction. It is the real diary kept by Susan from March 2003 to February 2004, and... |
 |
The Thyroid Sourcebook (5th Edition) (Sourcebooks) by M. Sara Rosenthal (Author) The classic reference guide for living with thyroid disorder--now completely revised and updated The New York Times called this book "an excellent source of information." The Thyroid Sourcebook features patient narratives; information on the complications of hypo- and hyperthyroidism, such as depression, weight gain, thyroid, eye disease, and sleep disorders; the latest on complimentary medicine; and much more. |
 |
Practical Management of Thyroid Cancer: A Multidisciplinary Approach by Ernest L. Mazzaferri (Editor), Clive Harmer (Editor), Ujjal K. Mallick (Editor), Pat Kendall-Taylor (Editor) Written by a multidisciplinary team of experts involved in the development of standards and guidelines for its management in the USA, UK, Europe and Asia, the book contains succinct and knowledgeable summaries of the management of thyroid cancer. Every chapter describes a different aspect of care, and provides clear and detailed information about caring for patients with this group of tumors. The book follows the American and European model of treating thyroid cancer according to the high standards recommended by the available guidelines. This is an invaluable reference to health care professionals, from primary to tertiary care, involved in the management of thyroid cancer such as clinical nurse specialists, clinical psychologists, family medicine practitioners,... |
 |
Thyroid Cancer: A Comprehensive Guide to Clinical Management by Leonard Wartofsky (Editor), Douglas Van Nostrand (Editor) This massive revision of the highly acclaimed first edition presents a wealth of new information and insights on every aspect of the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, initial treatment, and long-term management of all varieties of thyroid cancer. Paramount is a thorough treatment of the nuclear medical aspects of diagnosing and managing the thyroid cancer patient. This includes extensive discussion of isotopes, isotope uptake and scanning procedures, radioisodine ablation and dosimetry (with or without recombinant human TSH), stunning, octreotide and FDG-PET scanning, and various alternative imaging modalities. Additional highlights include management of the scan negative and thyroglobulin-positive patient, ultrasound of the lymph nodes, local adjuncts to therapy of metastases, low... |
 |
Thyroid Cancer by H.-J. Biersack (Editor), F. Grünwald (Editor) Thyroid Cancer describes all current diagnostic techniques, including FDG-PET and MRI. In recent years these modalities have documented hitherto hidden radioiodine-negative metastases, thus improving surgical therapy. The whole gamut of treatment, including surgery, radioiodine therapy, percutaneous radiation therapy and medical management, is covered. In some 10% of differentiated thyroid cancers, the well-known treatment tools of surgery and radioiodine therapy are not sufficient. New treatment modalities such as high-dose radioiodine therapy, redifferentiation therapy with retinoic acid and recombinant TSH are therefore highlighted. In a special section devoted to medullary thyroid cancer, new imaging procedures such as octreotide scintigraphy are described. The second edition includes... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |