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Routine Testing When you go in for follow-up tests, the goal is to see if your cancer has redeveloped. One way this is done is to check for thyroid activity in your body. The two most common follow-up tests are thyroglobulin (Tg) tests and whole body scans (WBS). Both of these can indicate the presence of thyroid activity. Tg testing
This is a test that measures the amount of thyroglobulin in your blood. If you have had your whole thyroid removed (total thyroidectomy), you should have little or no Tg in your blood, since thyroid cells are the only cells that make Tg. If your Tg level is higher than expected, it means that normal or cancerous thyroid cells may exist somewhere in your body. Whole body scan
A whole body scan uses radioiodine (RAI) to check for thyroid cells. The amount of RAI used for a WBS is smaller than that used for ablation. About 2 days after you have taken a drink or a capsule containing the RAI, you will be scanned by a large X-ray. Any thyroid cells remaining in your body should have taken up the RAI, and should show up as spots on the X-ray film. Testing preparation One possible step in preparing for a whole body scan is a low-iodine diet, which you may be asked to follow for a couple of weeks before your scan. You should check with your doctor to see whether he or she has a specific diet or timeline for you to follow. You can also find some suggestions about foods that should be avoided and helpful recipes in the Low-Iodine Diet section of this site. Additionally, both Tg testing and WBS usually require that you have thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in your bloodstream to stimulate any recurring thyroid cells. This would help increase the sensitivity and accuracy of WBS and Tg testing in detecting disease. Currently, there are two standard ways to increase the TSH levels. One is to stop taking your thyroid hormones, which should make your body produce TSH and induce a condition called hypothyroidism. The other alternative is to use Thyrogen®, a synthetic version of the TSH your body produces naturally. Please see important safety information below. Before the availability of Thyrogen, patients had to stop taking their thyroid hormone several weeks prior to having their tests. However, this results in a condition called hypothyroidism. While becoming hypothyroid may have a minimal effect on some people, most may find the condition quite uncomfortable, and in some cases intolerable. Fortunately, since 1998, there has been an alternative. Thyrogen is an injectable prescription drug that some patients can be given just before their tests. Thyrogen helps increase the sensitivity of WBS and/or Tg without the need to stop taking thyroid hormone therapy. For more information, please read the full product information. Please see important safety information below. Other tests Your doctor may decide to have you take other tests to confirm or rule out a recurrence of thyroid cancer, especially if you have had a positive WBS and/or Tg test. These include:
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