The Role of Molecular Imaging in the Clinical Assessment of Well-Differentiated and Poorly Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Abstract

Non-invasive medical imaging modalities has become a standard /unique tool for the diagnosis and staging of numerous diseases. Molecular imaging plays an important role in the evaluation and management of thyroid cancer. Hyperthyroidism, Hypothyroidism, Thyroid cancer are a mixture of endocrine group disease that can be ruled out using hybrid-imaging technique. An emerging role of molecular imaging is in providing information that directly influences on the mode of delivery of detection, diagnosis and treating cancer patients. This study was conducted to compare well-differentiated and poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma using Hybrid imaging modalities in thyroid carcinoma imaging using literature review proved research from 2008-2022. There are specific case examples of patients with thyroid cancer who appear to have benefited from imaging with Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET). Positron Emission Tomography / Computed Tomography (PET/CT) improves both disease detection and management in patient diagnosed with poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma and consider as the best assessment method in cases with high serum Thyroglobulin (Tg) and negative Whole Body Iodine Scan (WBIS) using 131-Iodine Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography / Computed Tomography (¹³¹I-SPECT/CT) imaging. In the context of modern oncology science both molecular imaging and Theranostic imaging plays an integral role in the clinical management and the evaluation of thyroid cancer and endocrine disorders. Treatment options depends on the thyroid malignancy staging. PET/CT improves both disease detection and management in-patient diagnosed with poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma like Hürthl cell carcinoma. At initial evaluation at the time of radioiodine ablation therapy, 18-Fluorine (¹⁸F-FDG) PET/CT should be performed in patients with intermediate-to-high-risk thyroid cancer owing to excellent prognostic capabilities.