Preparation for radioiodine therapy in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer: a modern perspective (a review)

Abstract

Thyroid cancer is the most prevalent tumor of the endocrine system, accounting for 1%–3% of all malignant neoplasms as of 2021. Differentiated forms, papillary and follicular, with a relatively favorable prognosis, are detected in 90% of cases. The combination of surgical treatment, subsequent suppressive hormonal therapy, and radioiodine therapy provides a favorable prognosis in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer. However, an insufficient response to radioiodine therapy may be possible, which may be associated with multiple factors, including the preparation step for radioiodine therapy. To date, the question of choosing the optimal method of patient preparation remains relevant. This paper presents a review of the scientific literature on the preparation of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer for radioiodine therapy. The principles of preparation are based on the recommendations of leading expert societies, and publications related to this topic are highlighted and summarized, including the adverse events associated with radioiodine therapy, quality of life, efficacy, and long-term results of treatment. The main purpose of this review was to provide a comprehensive insight into the methods of preparing a patient with differentiated thyroid cancer for radioiodine therapy, highlight existing problems and promising areas of research, and modernize treatment toward personalized therapy. Scientific articles and reviews from the National Library of Medicine, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases, published up to the end of January 2023, were searched by the keywords listed below in their various combinations. Recommendations from the following scientific communities were used: Russian Clinical Guidelines for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer, American Thyroid Association, European Thyroid Association, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, European Association of Nuclear Medicine, British Thyroid Association, and European Society for Medical Oncology. Articles not available in full, not in English or Russian, or systematic reviews of a similar topic, were excluded. In total, 124 sources were selected and analyzed, general tendencies of modern approaches to preparation for radioiodine therapy and actual problems were highlighted, concepts of optimization of preparation for radioiodine therapy within the framework of personalized therapy were covered, and results and conclusions were presented.