I-131 In the Management of Differentiated thyroid Cancer – an Update on Current Recommendations and Practices

I-131 is an established diagnostic and therapeutic modality for patients with functioning residual disease after surgery, and is widely used for remnant ablation and treating recurrence or metastatic disease. Over the years, evidence has grown demonstrating the benefits of combining surgery with radioactive iodine therapy, which has resulted in higher cure rates, lower recurrence, improved quality of life and longer survival. Management of well differentiated thyroid cancer in the current era is a multidisciplinary approach, comprising surgery, endocrinology and nuclear medicine, and the managemnt strategy include thyroidectomy, replacement with thyroid hormone and post-surgical radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation where indicated. This article briefly reviews the currently reccomended clinical practice guidelines on management of thyroid cancer, and our experiences at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in the diagnosis and treatment of well differentiated thyroid cancer.