Thyrogen Stimulation Testing

Thyrogen® is a form of TSH that is produced by Genzyme Corp. (Braintree, MA) in bacteria and purified for human use. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Thyrogen for both diagnostic testing and for therapy. Thyrogen is used for diagnostic testing when evaluating for recurrence of thyroid cancer. Recently, it was also approved for radioactive iodine treatment of remnant thyroid tissue after thyroidectomy. The diagnostic testing by Thyrogen is performed in an outpatient setting over five days:

  • Day 1 -- Blood draw for thyroglobulin and the patient is given a shot of Thyrogen.
  • Day 2 -- Shot of Thyrogen.
  • Day 3 -- The patient may undergo a PET/CT scan (without iodine contrast material) and/or receive a tracer dose of radioactive iodine for a nuclear medicine whole body scan.
  • Day 5 -- More blood drawn for thyroglobulin to see if there is a change after stimulation by rhTSH. If radioactive iodine was given, a total body scan is performed to see what tissues take up the radioactive iodine. This test is used diagnostically to see if there is any residual thyroid tissue, and to localize the tissue.

Thyrogen also may be used therapeutically to destroy the residual normal thyroid tissue left after thyroid surgery as well as to help destroy any residual thyroid cancer following such surgery.

print button
WP3