Efficacy and Survival Analysis of 131I Therapy for Bone Metastases from Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Objective: Our objective was to investigate the clinical efficacy of 131I therapy for bone metastases from differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and prognostic factors as well as to assess patient survival and variables influencing survival. Methods: One hundred six DTC patients with bone metastases treated with 131I were retrospectively analyzed. The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated based on the change in serum thyroglobulin (Tg), the palliation of bone pain, and the anatomical imaging changes in bone lesions. The overall survival rates were estimated using the life-table method. Results: After 131I therapy, a significant decrease in serum Tg was seen in 37 cases (34.9%), and serum Tg remained stable in 56 patients (52.8%). Among the 61 patients with painful bone metastases, 39 patients obtained a significant relief of bone pain, and the effective rate was 63.9%. The majority of DTC patients (76.4%) exhibited no obvious anatomical imaging changes in metastatic bone lesions after 131I therapy. Only histop...