Positron emission tomography and positron emission tomography-CT evaluation for recurrent papillary thyroid carcinoma: Meta-analysis and literature review

• Published in: Head & neck Vol. 33; no. 4; pp. 562 - 565
• Main Authors: Miller, Mia E., Chen, Qiaolin, Elashoff, David, Abemayor, Elliot, St. John, Maie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.04.2011; Wiley
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma, Follicular - diagnostic imaging; Biological and medical sciences; cancer surveillance; Carcinoma, Papillary - diagnostic imaging; Carcinoma, Papillary - therapy; Endocrinopathies; fluorodeoxyglucose; Humans; Malignant tumors; Medical sciences; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - diagnostic imaging; Non tumoral diseases. Target tissue resistance. Benign neoplasms; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; papillary thyroid carcinoma; PET; PET-CT; Positron-Emission Tomography; Sensitivity and Specificity; Thyroid Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Thyroid Neoplasms - therapy; Thyroid. Thyroid axis (diseases); Tomography, X-Ray Computed; well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma; Endocrinopathy; Radionuclide study; Evaluation; Relapse; Radiodiagnosis; Stomatology; Thyroid diseases; PET-CT; ENT; well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma; Malignant tumor; fluorodeoxyglucose; Thyroid carcinoma; cancer surveillance; Surveillance; Medical imagery; Computerized axial tomography; Positron emission tomography; Papillary thyroid carcinoma; Bibliographic review; PET; Cancer; Emission tomography
• ISSN: 1043-3074; 1097-0347
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.21492

Background Sensitivity and specificity data regarding positron emission tomography (PET) and PET/CT for surveillance of well‐differentiated thyroid cancer does not evaluate subtypes separately. Papillary and follicular thyroid carcinoma may have different characteristics on PET/CT imaging and so should be investigated individually. Methods This is a systematic meta‐analysis of studies using PET for surveillance in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma. Results Using different statistical models, combined sensitivity of PET and PET/CT for papillary thyroid carcinoma was 77% by the fixed effect model and 82% by the random‐effects model, specificity was calculated as 85% and 84%, respectively. Meta‐regression was performed to evaluate whether I‐131 negativity affected PET positivity; no correlation between I‐131 negativity and PET sensitivity or specificity was found. Conclusion PET and PET/CT are useful modalities in surveillance of papillary thyroid carcinoma. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine papillary thyroid carcinoma independently of other subtypes of well‐differentiated thyroid carcinoma. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2011