German researchers have been successful in ascertaining the difference between cancerous cells in regional lymph nodes and normal residual thyroid tissue following surgery.

Researchers at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg have revealed that they achieved this breakthrough while studying the diagnostic value of molecular imaging in nodal staging of patients with thyroid cancer.

Describing their work in an article in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, the researchers said that they used a hybrid single photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography (SPECT-CT) camera to determine and locate the spread of cancer cells to nearby lymph nodes.

According to them, the demonstration or exclusion of cancer spread (metastasis) in regional lymph nodes plays a major role in treating the disease since all patients with lymph node metastases are considered to be at high risk for recurrence.

During the study, the researchers administered radioiodine therapy to 57 patients, and, afterwards, a SPECT-CT camera was rotated around the patients at a variety of angles to capture where the radioactivity was occurring.

SPECT imaging can locate cells in the body that are not behaving normally, but does not provide the detailed, X-ray-like images that CT imaging can.

However, the hybrid camera used in the study was able to reveal both the malignant cell activity and the exact anatomical location.

"With SPECT-CT imaging, we were able to determine tumour spread much earlier than before. Earlier detection will lead to earlier individualized treatment of this potentially deadly cancer," said Dr. Daniela Schmidt, a co-author of the article.