[Long-term results following radioiodine treatment of patients with metastasizing follicular and papillary thyroid carcinoma].

From 1963 to 1988, 94 patients with mediastinal and/or distant metastasis of follicular or papillary thyroid cancer have been treated in our department by subtotal or near total thyroidectomy, 131-iodine ablation of the thyroid recurrent thyroid hormone and 131-iodine applications. Patients with locally advanced tumours had also percutaneous irradiation. Some patients had also surgical excision and percutaneous irradiation of the metastasis. Rates of complete and permanent remissions were: 53% (all pap.), 7% (all foll.), 75% (lung and/or mediastinal metastasis), 100% (miliary or micronodular lung metastasis and small mediastinal nodes), 6% (bone metastasis). Tumor specific survival rates were: 95% and 90% 10 and 20 years in patients less than 40 years old at the beginning of the treatment, 65% (5 years), 40% (10 years), 25% (15 years) and 18% (20 years) in patients at least 40 years old. Serious complications due to radioiodine were observed in three patients (one acute leukemia, one macroscopic haematuria with irradiation cystitis and one cancer of the bladder). Furthermore five patients suffered from grade III/IV thrombocytopenia: these patients had also multiple bone metastasis and percutaneous irradiation of various bone regions.