Papillary and follicular thyroid cancers are usually treated with a combination of surgery followed by radioactive iodine therapy (RAIT). Currently, the effectiveness of treatment is evaluated using I-131 nuclear medicine (NM) planar whole-body imaging. However, other imaging modalities, such as single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT), MRI and ultrasound can be used to better localise recurrence or metastases. This review considers the role of these modalities in addition to NM and assesses their utility to improve patient outcomes following a case study patient pathway.
Clinical indications/history
A 29-year-old male presented to his GP with a three-month history of a lump in his neck. The patient had no history of radiation exposure. His maternal grandmother has hypothyroidism but there is no known family history of cancer. He has a partner and two young children.
Initial diagnosis and thyroidectomy
The patient was referred...
Sign in to your account
Log in
This content is available to registered users only. Please sign in to continue.
If you are not yet registered, please create your account on www.sor.org and verify your membership status. Once your account has been set up, return here and sign in to access the content.
Set up your account