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Dosimetry for Iodine-131 Therapy for Metastatic Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

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The Thyroid and Its Diseases

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Abstract

Dosimetry is one of the two methods of selecting prescribed activity of I-131 for the treatment of metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer. The objective of this chapter is to present an overview of dosimetrically determined prescribed activity of I-131 for the treatment of metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) with a discussion of (1) definitions, (2) the fundamentals of radiation therapy, (3) empiric vs. dosimetrically determined prescribed activity of I-131, (4) the fundamentals of I-131 dosimetry, (5) overview of whole body and lesional dosimetry, (6) simplified dosimetry, (7) review of the literature, and (8) recommendations for determination of prescribed activity of I-131 for differentiated thyroid cancer. This chapter will not discuss dosimetry for selection of prescribed activity of I-131 for Graves’ disease, autonomous nodule, or nontoxic multinodular goiter.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to acknowledge the late Dr. Robert Leeper and Dr. Frank Atkins. Dr. Leeper personally helped Dr. Atkins and I establish whole body radioiodine dosimetry at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 1980, and all of my work within radioiodine dosimetry could not have been possible without the extensive and outstanding collaboration of Dr. Atkins for the better part of 35 years, who was my physicist, colleague, and friend.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear Medicine Research, Division of Nuclear Medicine, MedStar Health Research Institute, Washington Hospital Center, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA

    Douglas Van Nostrand

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  1. Douglas Van Nostrand
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany

    Markus Luster

  2. Unit of Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism, Evgenidion Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Leonidas H. Duntas

  3. Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA

    Leonard Wartofsky

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Van Nostrand, D. (2019). Dosimetry for Iodine-131 Therapy for Metastatic Differentiated Thyroid Cancer. In: Luster, M., Duntas, L., Wartofsky, L. (eds) The Thyroid and Its Diseases. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72102-6_41

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72102-6_41

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-72100-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-72102-6

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