Nuclear medicine in the assessment of differentiated thyroid cancer

Despite modern multi-modality treatment, 10–30% of patients treated for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) ultimately develop local recurrence or metastatic disease. These malignancies are frequently slow-growing and secondary surgical resection is often undertaken along with radioactive iodine treatment. Correlation of radiological imaging with nuclear medicine studies is essential for individualized treatment planning, and to optimize this management. Radiologists should be familiar with the interpretation of various nuclear medicine studies used to image differentiated thyroid neoplasms.