[Early results of 131I therapy of differentiated thyroid carcinoma in children]

Between 1970-1995 because of thyroid carcinoma 105 children were diagnosed or treated by radioiodine at the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Institute of Oncology and Cancer Center in Gliwice, 101 of them with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). All children were operated, in 91% by total thyroidectomy. Papillary carcinoma was diagnosed in 73% of children, follicular cancer in 27%. Lymph node metastases were present in 58.5%. Complementary radioiodine was given to 62 children--to 44 children for thyroid ablation, to 18 for complementary treatment of lymph node metastases. Very good outcome of combined surgical and radioiodine treatment was observed in 95% of children. Post-therapy scans revealed pulmonary micrometastases in 3 patients. Twelve children with pulmonary metastases were treated by radioiodine. Complete remission was observed after radioiodine therapy in 9 of them, in others the treatment is continued.