Breast and endocrine surgery: radioiodine after thyroidectomy: practice question

A General Surgery question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

Try it

General Surgery · Breast and endocrine surgery: radioiodine after thyroidectomy

Sample item

A 35-year-old has a total thyroidectomy for a 3 cm papillary carcinoma with lymph node metastases. What is the usual adjuvant plan?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Radioactive iodine ablation with lifelong levothyroxine for TSH suppression and thyroglobulin follow-up

Differentiated thyroid cancers take up iodine, so remnant ablation after total thyroidectomy treats residual tissue and micrometastases in intermediate or high-risk disease. Levothyroxine suppresses TSH, and serum thyroglobulin is a tumour marker after ablation.

Option by option

  • A. Chemotherapy with doxorubicin

    Chemotherapy is largely ineffective in differentiated cancer.

  • B. External beam radiotherapy to the neck in all patients

    External radiotherapy is for selected advanced or iodine-refractory disease.

  • C. No treatment other than observation

    Node-positive disease needs adjuvant treatment.

  • D. Radioactive iodine ablation with lifelong levothyroxine for TSH suppression and thyroglobulin follow-up (correct)

    Correct. RAI, TSH suppression and thyroglobulin monitoring are standard.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is D, Radioactive iodine ablation with lifelong levothyroxine for TSH suppression and thyroglobulin follow-up. Differentiated thyroid cancers take up iodine, so remnant ablation after total thyroidectomy treats residual tissue and micrometastases in intermediate or high-risk disease.

Why is "Chemotherapy with doxorubicin" not the answer?

Chemotherapy is largely ineffective in differentiated cancer.

Why is "External beam radiotherapy to the neck in all patients" not the answer?

External radiotherapy is for selected advanced or iodine-refractory disease.

Why is "No treatment other than observation" not the answer?

Node-positive disease needs adjuvant treatment.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Breast and endocrine surgery: radioiodine after thyroidectomy in General Surgery. Levothyroxine suppresses TSH, and serum thyroglobulin is a tumour marker after ablation.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Breast and endocrine surgery: radioiodine after thyroidectomy?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.