Differentiated thyroid cancer theranostics: radioiodine and beyond.

Differentiated thyroid cancer theranostics: radioiodine and beyond. Br J Radiol. 2018 Sep 27;:20180136 Authors: Choudhury P, Gupta M Abstract The term theranostics is the combination of a diagnostic tool that helps to define the right therapeutic tool for specific disease. It signifies the "we know which sites require treatment (diagnostic scan) and confirm that those sites have been treated (post therapy scan)" demonstrating the achievable tumor dose concept. This term was first used by John Funkhouser at the beginning of the 90's at the same time the concept of personalized medicine appeared. In nuclear medicine theranostics is easy to apply and understand because of an easy switch from diagnosis to therapy with the same vector. It helps in maximizing tumor dose & sparing normal tissue with high specific and rapid uptake in metastasis. The oldest application of this concept is radioactiveiodine I-131. (RAI) The first treatment based on the theranostic concept was performed on thyroid cancer patients with RAI in 1946. From then on management of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) has evolved on the multimodality concept. We now use the term "our" patient instead of "my" patient to signify this. However the initial surgical management followed by RAI as per the theranostics has remained the mainstay in achieving a cure in most of DTC patients. The normal thyroid cells metabolise iodine, the principle of which is utilized in imagi...
Source: The British Journal of Radiology - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Br J Radiol Source Type: research