[Advanced thyroid carcinoma--possible induction of the host's antitumor immunological response by 131I therapy]

The patient was a 76-year-old man. When he was 31, he had undergone right lobectomy for thyroid cancer. Following this, had repeated recurrences, and finally reached total-thyroidectomized status. Consequently, he was given thyroxin and PS-K thereafter. When he was 75, 131I therapy was undertaken for lung metastases. The changes of serum anti-microsomal antibody (AMA), immunosuppressive substance (ISS) and thyroglobulin (TG) were as follows: three months after the therapy, AMA was 40(2), although it had always been negative before. Nine months later, ISS and TG markedly decreased.

Under the administration of immunomodulating agents, 131I therapy might induce antitumor immunological responses by the effect of enhancement of cancer cell antigenicity.