Study was terminated due to loss of funding.

RATIONALE: Radioactive iodine kills thyroid cancer cells by giving off radiation.

PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying the side effects, best dose, and how well iodine I 131 works in treating patients with thyroid cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the relationship between estimated absorbed dose of iodine I 131 and tumor response or normal organ toxicity for different dosimetric measures, using data derived from clinical radionuclide therapy studies in patients with thyroid cancer.

OUTLINE: Patients receive oral dosimetric iodine I 131 (^131I) on day 2 and then undergo nuclear medicine imaging at 0.5-4 hours, 24, 48, and 72 hours after dosimetric ^131I. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/CT scans are performed at 0.5-4 hours and 24 or 48 hours over the head and neck region, including the salivary glands. Subsequent SPECT/CT scans are performed over the candidate tumor sites. Patients undergo ^131I therapy on day 11.

Saliva is collected on days 1 and 2, weeks 2 and 4, and months 3 and 6 to measure saliva flow rate. Blood is collected at baseline and periodically during study to measure FLT3 ligand levels.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 96 patients will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of thyroid cancer
• Measurable disease by CT scan or nuclear medicine imaging
• Eligible, by standard of care criteria, for iodine I 131 therapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective non-barrier method contraception (e.g., combined or progesterone-only oral contraceptive pill, intrauterine device, depot progesterone, or stable relationship with a partner who has had a vasectomy)
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except squamous cell or basal cell carcinoma of the skin
• No nonthyroidal conditions known to affect iodine I 131 uptake (e.g., New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure or renal failure)
• No alcoholism or drug abuse within the past 2 years
• No severe emotional, behavioral, or psychiatric problems that would preclude study compliance (e.g., severe claustrophobia)

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• No intravenous water-soluble radiographic contrast within the past 4 weeks
• No iodinated contrast agent within the past 3 months
• No concurrent drugs that may affect thyroid or renal function (e.g., renal drugs, lithium, amiodarone, other iodine-containing medication, or corticosteroids)
• No other concurrent investigational drugs

5 years

The protocol was designed for data collection with minimal impact on treatment. Data collection was terminated due to low accrual . No reportable results could be obtained.