Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of radioactive iodine -131 therapy after complete thyroidectomy using high accumulated doses of radioactive iodine (131I ).
Methods: This study was a retrospective review of 141 patients over 22 months at a period between January 2018 and November 2019 in Al Ahli hospital, Hebron, Palestine. All patients after complete thyroidectomy, thyroid remnant tissues were confirmed by I-131 whole-body scan; then, high accumulated Iodine doses were performed for treatment.
Results: The total effective rate of 131I therapy of the current study was 87.9%. The recurrence rate was 12.1%. Of the real 141 thyroid cancer patients, 114 thyroid cancer patients were female (80.15%), and 27 patients were male (19.85%). Recurrences were more common in female patients with thyroid cancer than in male patients (17.55 vs. 11.11%, respectively). However, the middle age 30-40 was the most affected age group, while the least affected age group was the 60-70.
Conclusion: 131I provides an effective treatment for patients with thyroid cancer after a complete thyroidectomy. Thyroglobulin (Tg) levels after surgery is a credible indicator of the presence of remnant thyroid tissue. Whole-body iodine scans are useful in determining remnant thyroid tissue in patients after a complete thyroidectomy.