FDG-PET performed concurrently with initial I-131 ablation for differentiated thyroid cancer.

Objective Differentiated thyroid cancers (DTCs) are commonly treated by total thyroidectomy followed by I-131 radioiodine ablation to eradicate any residual thyroid tissue and to detect any metastatic lesions on post-treatment whole body scans (TxWBS). However, some DTCs do not trap iodine, resulting in negative whole body scanning. Fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) has proven to be a valuable diagnostic technique for detecting many types of malignant tumors and metastases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate FDG-PET performed concurrently with initial I-131 ablation for its ability to detect lymph node metastasis and for its role in the management of DTC patients.