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Video

Care Equity, Quality, and Safety

(A138) Pediatric Thyroid Cancer Multidisciplinary Team's Impact on Post-operative Radioactive Iodine Treatment

Monday, October 13, 2025
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT
Location: OTO EXPO, Posters

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Dylan K. Thompson, BSc

    Medical Student
    Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
    Nashville, Tennessee, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • SG

    Shravan V. Gowrishankar, MD

    Research Fellow
    Vanderbilt University Medical Center
    High Wycombe, England, United Kingdom

    • Presenting Author(s)

  • Kalpnaben R. patel, CCRP

    Clinical Translational Research Coordinator
    Vanderbilt University Medical Center Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
    Franklin, TN, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • SB

    Sara Bartz, MD

    VUMC, United States

    • Senior Author(s)

  • Ryan H. Belcher, MD, MPH

    Associate Professor, Vanderbilt Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology - HNS
    Vanderbilt Children's Pediatric Hospital
    Nashville, Tennessee, United States

Disclosure(s):
Shravan V. Gowrishankar, MD: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Dylan K. Thompson, BSc: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Ryan H. Belcher, MD, MPH: No relevant relationships to disclose.


Introduction: The American Thyroid Association (ATA) 2015 pediatric thyroid guidelines outline management following surgery in pediatric thyroid cancer patients based on risk. At our hospital, a multidisciplinary team (MDT) for managing these patients post-operatively was set up in January 2021. We aimed to study if this introduction led to a change in the performance of post-operative testing performed according to these guidelines.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed at our institution on pediatric patients who had thyroidectomy for papillary or follicular thyroid cancer between 2017 – 2024. Data collected included timing of post-operative thyroglobulin (Tg) tests, 123Iodine scans, 131Iodine therapy, and number of endocrinologists involved in care. Fisher’s exact test and independent t-tests were used for data analysis.

Results: 48 patients were identified from 2017-2024 (n=29 from 2017-2020; n=19 from 2021–2024). Mean age was 13.5 years (range: 4–17 years). There were 39 female and 9 male patients. There were 46 papillary and 2 follicular thyroid cancer cases.

131Iodine ablation was performed in 44% of patients where it was not indicated (i.e. low risk) from 2017-2020 (n=7/16) based on ATA 2015 guidelines, and in 0% of patients from 2021-2024 (n=0/7) (p=0.02). The mean number of endocrinologists involved in care was 2.3 in the first period and 1.5 in the second period (p=0.03).

Between groups, there were no significant differences in the proportion of patients who correctly received TSH-stimulated Tg, 123Iodine or 131Iodine if they were indicated according to ATA guidelines. There were no significant differences in timing of tests following surgery between groups or the dose of 131Iodine given.

Conclusions: There were significantly fewer low-risk patients who received 131Iodine radioablation therapy in the 2021-2024 group compared to the 2017-2020 group. Introduction of the MDT and less variation in endocrinologists involved in post-operative care of each patient from 2021 improved adherence to ATA guidelines and care for pediatric thyroid cancer patients.