Medical treatments
Thyrogen (recombinant Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)
Following initial treatment for thyroid cancer (usually surgery and radioactive iodine) doctors can determine whether a patient with thyroid cancer has been successfully treated by performing a whole-body scan (WBS) and a thyroglobulin (Tg) test. To make these tests as accurate as possible, it has traditionally involved reducing, then ceasing the patient's dose of thyroxine (Oroxine/Eutroxsig), beginning approximately two months before scanning. This makes the patient hypothyroid which may cause great discomfort. An alternative approach to stopping thyroxine is to give the patient Thyrogen.
Two injections of Thyrogen are given a day apart, then on the third day they receive a small dose of radioiodine. Two days later they have the WBS and Tg test. The tests following Thyrogen are comparable to those performed after stopping thyroxine. The patient doesn't become hypothyroid, however some patients might experience some short-lived headaches and nausea following the Thyrogen injections.
To find out whether Thyrogen is suitable for you, please talk to your specialist.
MORE INFORMATION: www.thyrogen.com/patient/p_pt_overview.asp
Radioactive iodine
Radioactive Iodine is almost always given to a patient after the removal of the thyroid gland due to thyroid cancer. This dose of RAI is referred to as the thyroid remnant ablation. The ablative dose destroys any remaining thyroid tissue that is left after surgery.
This treatment may also be used to control the amount of thyroid hormone (T4/T3) produced by the thyroid gland or a stronger dose may be used to totally destroy the thyroid gland–this is given as an alternate to thyroid surgery.