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

✍ Scribed by Mia E. Miller; Qiaolin Chen; David Elashoff; Elliot Abemayor; Maie St. John

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 205 KB
• Volume: 33
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1043-3074
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.21492

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

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