DIURETIC-ENHANCED I-131 CLEARANCE AFTER ABLATION THERAPY FOR DIFFERENTIATED THYROID-CANCER

The authors assessed whether the whole-body radiation burden can be re duced with diuretic enhancement of iodine-131 excretion in patients wi th thyroid cancer and slow clearance. Whole-body imaging and quantitat ive I-131 clearance data obtained before and after ablation therapy we re evaluated in 56 patients. Fourteen patients with slow pre-ablation therapy clearance (> 50% retention at 24 hours) received oral diuretic s after I-131 therapy. Nine patients began taking furosemide 24 hours after I-131 treatment. Five patients had been receiving thiazide diure tics and were continued on the same dose after treatment. The mean hal f-time of I-131 clearance for the patients treated with furosemide dec reased by 12 hours (P < .05) but was not significantly decreased for t hose who received thiazides or for the patients who did not receive di uretics. Administration of diuretics can improve I-131 clearance in pa tients with thyroid cancer and slow clearance, reducing the radiation burden and shortening the hospital stay.