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Vol 23, No 2 (2020)
Review paper
Submitted: 2019-11-20
Accepted: 2020-05-06
Published online: 2020-07-31
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PET/CT in thyroid cancer — the importance of BRAF mutations

Vincenzo Cuccurullo1, Giuseppe Danilo Di Stasio1, Giuseppe Lucio Cascini2
DOI: 10.5603/NMR.a2020.0016
·
Pubmed: 33007097
·
Nucl. Med. Rev 2020;23(2):97-102.
Affiliations
  1. Università della Campania, p.zza Miraglia,2, 80138 Napoli, Italy
  2. Università Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy

open access

Vol 23, No 2 (2020)
Reviews
Submitted: 2019-11-20
Accepted: 2020-05-06
Published online: 2020-07-31

Abstract

Thyroid cancer (TC) represents less than 1% of all newly diagnosed malignancies. In some selected cases, with a high clinical suspicion for disease but negative I-131 scan, positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET) with F-18-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) could be helpful in the detection of disease and the definition of its extent. FDG PET/CT, better if performed after TSH stimulation analogously to patient preparation done for radioiodine scintigraphy, could be useful mainly in the detection of metastatic and recurrent disease since the uptake and diagnostic sensitivity of FDG are increased by TSH stimulation. Recently, the role of oncogenic mutations in the tumorigenesis of TCs has become clearer. Among such mutations, BRAFV600E represents the most common genetic alteration. Mutated BRAF may define a more aggressive papillary carcinoma with poorer prognosis and therefore its analysis has been extensively studied as a rule-in test for thyroid carcinoma. In this paper, we try to outline the possible role of FDG PET/CT in the management of patients with TC and positive BRAF mutations and the impact that it could have on their therapeutic algorithm, in terms of thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy.

Abstract

Thyroid cancer (TC) represents less than 1% of all newly diagnosed malignancies. In some selected cases, with a high clinical suspicion for disease but negative I-131 scan, positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET) with F-18-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) could be helpful in the detection of disease and the definition of its extent. FDG PET/CT, better if performed after TSH stimulation analogously to patient preparation done for radioiodine scintigraphy, could be useful mainly in the detection of metastatic and recurrent disease since the uptake and diagnostic sensitivity of FDG are increased by TSH stimulation. Recently, the role of oncogenic mutations in the tumorigenesis of TCs has become clearer. Among such mutations, BRAFV600E represents the most common genetic alteration. Mutated BRAF may define a more aggressive papillary carcinoma with poorer prognosis and therefore its analysis has been extensively studied as a rule-in test for thyroid carcinoma. In this paper, we try to outline the possible role of FDG PET/CT in the management of patients with TC and positive BRAF mutations and the impact that it could have on their therapeutic algorithm, in terms of thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy.

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Keywords

BRAF mutation; fluorodeoxyglucose F18; positron emission tomography; thyroid neoplasms

About this article
Title

PET/CT in thyroid cancer — the importance of BRAF mutations

Journal

Nuclear Medicine Review

Issue

Vol 23, No 2 (2020)

Article type

Review paper

Pages

97-102

Published online

2020-07-31

Page views

1511

Article views/downloads

1404

DOI

10.5603/NMR.a2020.0016

Pubmed

33007097

Bibliographic record

Nucl. Med. Rev 2020;23(2):97-102.

Keywords

BRAF mutation
fluorodeoxyglucose F18
positron emission tomography
thyroid neoplasms

Authors

Vincenzo Cuccurullo
Giuseppe Danilo Di Stasio
Giuseppe Lucio Cascini

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