Reversing "Flip-Flop" Phenomenon of 131 I and Glucose Avidity in RET-Fusion Positive Radioiodine-Refractory Thyroid Cancer Lesions After Treatment of Pralsetinib

Clin Nucl Med. 2023 Mar 1;48(3):e147-e148. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000004475. Epub 2022 Nov 11.

Abstract

A 61-year-old man presented with papillary thyroid cancer in radioiodine-refractory status after high-activity 131 I treatments following thyroidectomy. FDG-avid neck and pulmonary metastases but without 131 I-uptake were detected. CCDC6-RET fusion was identified from the tumor lesion. He was treated with pralsetinib, a RET inhibitor, followed by another high-activity 131 I therapy. Posttherapeutic scan displayed restoration of 131 I avidity at those lesions only shown on previous FDG PET/CT. Reduced FDG avidity of those lesions and decreased serum antithyroglobulin antibody titer were also noticed. This case illustrated successfully reinduced 131 I avidity in papillary thyroid cancer through redifferentiation with target therapy to suppress tumor RET overexpression.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Glucose
  • Humans
  • Iodine Radioisotopes* / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret
  • Thyroid Cancer, Papillary / drug therapy
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / pathology

Substances

  • Iodine Radioisotopes
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • pralsetinib
  • Glucose
  • RET protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret