Effect of Lithium Carbonate on Low-Dose Radioiodine Therapy in Early Thyroid Cancer

Summary

This study will examine the safety and effectiveness of using lithium, which has been used to enhance the effectiveness of high-dose 131I, with a single low dose (30 mCi) of 131I for thyroid ablation in patients with recently diagnosed papillary or follicular thyroid cancer who have had their thyroid gland removed and whose cancer has not spread beyond the thyroid. Participants are randomly assigned to receive lithium capsules or placebo (look-alike capsules with no active ingredient). They follow a low-iodine diet for 2 weeks before starting treatment and are then admitted to the NIH Clinical Center for study and treatment for 11 days, during which they remain on the low-iodine diet. Blood samples are collected almost every day to analyze thyroid hormones, kidney and liver function, lithium concentrations and other tests.

Timeline

Start

2005-11

Primary completion

2011-12

Completion

2011-12

Publications

• Background Sherman SI. Thyroid carcinoma. Lancet. 2003 Feb 8;361(9356):501-11. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(03)12488-9.
• Background Mazzaferri EL. An overview of the management of papillary and follicular thyroid carcinoma. Thyroid. 1999 May;9(5):421-7. doi: 10.1089/thy.1999.9.421.
• Background Mazzaferri EL, Jhiang SM. Long-term impact of initial surgical and medical therapy on papillary and follicular thyroid cancer. Am J Med. 1994 Nov;97(5):418-28. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(94)90321-2.

Drugs

Indications