OBJECTIVES: Although the incidence of thyroid carcinoma is constantly rising, little is known about the issue of quality of life (QOL) in this patient group. A ten-year survival rate of 90% and therapeutic options with minor side-effects may blind physicians and researchers to the fact that patients not only have to face a cancer diagnosis and fear of recurrence, but are struggling with endocrine problems, severely affecting their QOL. Therefore, in the present study we aim at longitudinally assessing QOL in thyroid cancer patients from the beginning of radionuclide therapy onward. A further aim is to implement a computer-based QOL-monitoring. METHODS: Thyroid cancer patients admitted for inpatient stay (either for radionuclide therapy or aftercare) at the University Clinic for Nuclear Medicine were consecutively included in the study. Following an aftercare visit at 6 months after therapy, patients are monitored on an annual basis. QOL was assessed with the widely used EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) at each hospital visit. Data analysis was done using mixed linear models. RESULTS: Data from 55 patients (63.4% female, age 45.8+/-16.8) with a total of 236 measurements were analyzed. Patients showed significantly (α=0.05) more severe impairments at the time point of therapy compared to aftercare visits on several QOL dimensions (functioning: physical, social, role, emotional; symptoms: fatigue, pain, dyspnea). On the majority of these dimensions females reported significantly more symptoms than males. During early aftercare QOL scores returned to general population levels. Computer-based QOL-monitoring is being currently implemented. Results will be showed at the conference. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that the QOL of thyroid cancer patients is diminished during the time of therapy until early aftercare. To alleviate symptom burden the need for medical or psychosocial intervention needs to be identified timely. This can be done using computer-based QOL-monitoring, allowing immediate action.