The aim was to analyze the impact of combined treatment (thyroidectomy + radioactive iodine treatment + hormonotherapy with thyroxine) on the outcomes of patients with follicular thyroid carcinoma.
Material and methods: This retrospective study included 448 patients with follicular carcinoma (394 females, 54 males, mean age of 48 years (95% CI, 46-50 years) who were treated at the Institute of Oncology, Vilnius University, from 1982 to 2006. All the patients underwent thyroidectomy. Hypothyroid patients 3-12 weeks after surgical treatment were treated with moderate radioiodine doses (1.11-3.7 GBq), and these doses were administered every 3-4 months. The patients with follicular thyroid carcinoma were given suppressive doses of thyroxine after combined treatment. The patients treated were regularly observed by gamma camera; every 6-12 months, serum thyroglobulin was evaluated.
Results: The remnants of thyroid tissue were detected in all 448 patients after thyroidectomy and radioiodine therapy. Radioiodine at mean total doses of 5.6+/-0.2 GBq was used to destroy the remnants of thyroid tissue. For patients with disseminated forms of follicular thyroid carcinoma, mean total radioiodine doses of 19.5+/-3.1 GBq were used. Majority (91.2%) of the patients were euthyroid or hyperthyroid after the treatment with thyroid hormone. All the patients treated had the level of serum thyroglobulin of 1.1+/-0.2 ng/mL. The overall 10-, 20-, and 30-year survival of patients with follicular thyroid cancer, who received combined treatment, was 91.2%, 81.9%, and 77.1%, respectively.
Conclusion: Combined treatment (thyroidectomy + radioactive iodine treatment + hormonotherapy with thyroxine) administered to the patients with follicular thyroid carcinoma is highly effective, because overall 10-, 20-, 30-year survival was 91.2%, 81.9%, 77.1%, respectively.