The Effect of Radioiodine Therapy on the Prognosis of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer with Lung Metastases

Abstract

Lung metastasis substantially influences the survival of thyroid cancer (TC) patients. This study sought to investigate factors impacting the survival of differentiated thyroid cancer patients with lung metastases (DTC–LM) undergoing radioiodine therapy (RAI) after thyroid surgery. The retrospective study encompassed 609 TC patients with lung metastases. Survival outcomes—specifically, overall survival (OS) and thyroid cancer-specific survival (TCSS)—were examined through both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Radioiodine therapy (RAI)’s impact on DTC–LM patient survival was further assessed with the Kaplan–Meier survival curve. Of the 609 TC patients with lung metastases, 434 (71.3%) were found to have undergone thyroid surgery after a median follow-up of 59 months. Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), stage IV, and lung metastases associated with other metastases were identified as risk factors for OS and TCSS in TCLM patients. RAI therapy significantly enhances survival in DTC–LM patients followed by primary site surgery under the age of 55, PTC patients, and those with single organ metastases at lung.