Thyrogen | Insurers

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The American Cancer Society estimates that 30,180 new diagnoses of thyroid cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2006.1 Of the new cases, about 22,590 are expected to occur in women, and 7,590 in men.

Although the five-year survival rate for most patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer is 96%, recurrence does occur in about one-third of patients, sometimes decades after initial treatment. For that reason, many patients require lifelong monitoring.

This website provides clinical information about the treatment and long-term monitoring of well-differentiated thyroid cancer, including the role that Thyrogen® (thyrotropin alfa for injection) plays in enhancing diagnostic and follow-up test sensitivity, while preventing patients from becoming hypothyroid.

On this website, you can visit About Thyroid Cancer for detailed information about thyroid cancer incidence and prevalence, testing, and management; access clinical information on Thyrogen in About Thyrogen; and learn more about Thyrogen reimbursement, ordering, and billing in Thyrogen Coverage.

REFERENCES:

1. American Cancer Society. Detailed Guide: Thyroid Cancer. Available at: http://www.cancer.org Accessed March 3, 2006.

Indication
Thyrogen (thyrotropin alfa for injection) is indicated for use as an additional tool to identify thyroid disease (by testing the blood for a hormone called thyroglobulin), with or without a radiology test using a form of iodine, in the follow-up of patients with a certain type of thyroid cancer (known as well-differentiated thyroid cancer).

Thyrogen (thyrotropin alfa for injection) is also indicated for use as a preparation for treatment with a form of iodine to remove left over thyroid tissue in patients who have had surgery to take out the entire thyroid gland for a certain type of thyroid cancer (known as well-differentiated thyroid cancer) and who do not have signs of thyroid cancer which has spread to other parts of the body.

Important Safety Information

When Thyrogen is used to help detect thyroid cancer, there is still a chance all—or parts of—your cancer could be missed.
In a study of people being prepared for treatment with a form of iodine after thyroid surgery, results were similar between those who received Thyrogen and those who stopped taking their thyroid hormone. Researchers do not know if results would be similar over a longer period of time.
Your doctor may take extra steps to care for you during Thyrogen treatment if you have heart disease and large amounts of remaining thyroid tissue after surgery.
If you are over 65 years old and did not have your entire thyroid removed during treatment of your cancer, you may be at risk for abnormal heartbeat while receiving Thyrogen. Because of this, you and your doctor will need to carefully consider the risks and benefits of Thyrogen before starting it.
In clinical studies, the most common side effects reported were upset stomach, headache, tiredness, throwing up, dizziness, prickling and tingling sensation, weakness, difficulty sleeping, and diarrhea.

Please see accompanying full Product Information.