Radioiodine Therapy Enhances Long-Term Survival in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Patients

Recent research published in the April issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine highlights the significant benefits of radioiodine (RAI) therapy in improving survival rates among patients with differentiated thyroid cancer following surgical treatment. The study found that patients who received RAI had higher relative survival rates compared to those who did not undergo this therapy, with notable benefits observed especially in high-risk groups.

Radioiodine therapy has been a cornerstone in thyroid cancer treatment for over 80 years, primarily used to reduce recurrence and enhance long-term survival in high-risk cases. However, evidence for its effectiveness in low- to intermediate-risk patients has been limited and somewhat conflicting.

To better understand the impact of RAI across different risk groups, researchers analyzed data from over 101,000 patients sourced from the SEER database. They classified patients based on histological types—such as classical papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), aggressive PTC variants, follicular thyroid cancer (FTC), and minimally invasive FTC—and stratified them into risk categories: very low, low, intermediate, and high.

The findings indicated that in most subgroups, RAI treatment was associated with improved relative survival, with high-risk patients showing benefits of up to 30.9%. Even in cases with larger tumor sizes or lymph node involvement, the 10-year relative survival benefit was modest but positive, ranging from 1.3% to 2.0%. Importantly, RAI did not negatively impact survival in any of the evaluated subgroups.

These insights provide valuable guidance for clinicians in tailoring treatment plans based on initial risk assessment. Dr. Matthias Schmidt, a nuclear medicine specialist, emphasized that the findings support the use of RAI therapy to enhance long-term outcomes, especially in higher-risk thyroid cancer patients. The study aligns with ongoing efforts to refine treatment guidelines and optimize patient care.

Overall, this research underscores the enduring role of radioiodine therapy in thyroid cancer management and offers evidence-based insights that can aid medical professionals in decision-making to improve patient survival outcomes.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-radioiodine-therapy-survival-differentiated-thyroid.html