Inclusion Criteria

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