Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 11, 2026
Computer-Aided Three-Dimensional Visualization in the Treatment of Locally Advanced Thyroid Cancer
Published on: June 9, 2023
Use of surgical gamma probe for the detection of lymph node metastases in differentiated thyroid cancer
F Lippi1, M Capezzone, P Miccoli
1Dipartimento di Endocrinologia e Metabolismo, Pisa, Italy.
Background:
Patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) after total or near-total thyroidectomy require 131I therapy. After surgery the persistence of lymph node metastases in our series of patients was frequent (30%). Such patients are preferentially treated with radioiodine and shifted to surgical reintervention when the nodal lesions persist after two 131I treatments.
Aim:
Use of an intraoperative radioactive probe (C-TraK) to allow a more radical surgical approach in thyroid cancer patients submitted to surgery for lymph node metastases.
Methods And Results:
After adequate withdrawal of L-thyroxine suppressive therapy six patients were given high 131I doses followed by post-therapy WBS which demonstrated cervical activity in 5 patients and peri-jugular activity in 1. Surgery with the help of a gamma probe allowed to detect and remove all metastatic nodes. After excision all surgical specimens showed higher radioactive counts with respect to the background. The post-surgical scan showed the disappearance of all areas of 131I uptake. Histology confirmed the presence of metastatic lesions from papillary thyroid cancer.
Conclusions:
We conclude that the use of a gamma probe can be successful in patients with metastatic neck lesions resistant to 131I treatment, particularly in patients with nonpalpable lesions.
