What is radioactive iodine therapy?
Radioactive iodine therapy is a radiopharmaceutical. It involves the use of radioactive isotopes — in this case, Iodine-131 (I-131) — to diagnose or treat disease. How is radioactive iodine therapy used?
Can I Drive Myself home after radioactive iodine treatment?
Radioactive iodine gives off radiation. This means that after your treatment, you won’t be able to go home using public transportation such as buses, the subway, trains, or a plane. You can drive yourself home, have someone pick you up and take you home, or take a taxi or private car home.
How long does it take for radioactive iodine to absorb?
Since thyroid cells can’t tell the difference between radioactive and non-radioactive iodine, they absorb it quickly. Any radioactive iodine not absorbed by the thyroid is excreted by the body within a few days. When used for diagnosis, very small amounts of radioactive iodine help highlight the areas where cancerous thyroid cells are on scans.
How much radioactive iodine will I get?
The amount you get will be based on the results of your blood tests and scans. If you’re getting radioactive iodine in pill form, you may get 1 to 3 pills, depending on your dose. You’ll get water to swallow with the dose. If you’re getting the liquid form of radioactive iodine, you’ll need to drink about a teaspoon of liquid (about 5 milliliters).
How much does a radioactive iodine pill cost?
A radioactive iodine treatment costs about $390 to $750 for an average dose, according to a February 2011 article[1] published in the New England Journal of Medicine, but patients at ThyroidBoard.com report[2] total costs of $4,000 or more, including hospital and radiologist fees.
Who prescribes radioactive iodine?
Therefore, a type of radiation therapy called radioactive iodine (also called I-131 or RAI) can find and destroy thyroid cells not removed by surgery and those that have spread beyond the thyroid. Doctors who prescribe radioactive iodine therapy are usually endocrinologists or nuclear medicine specialists.
What cancer does iodine 131 Help Treat?
Because of this, radioactive iodine (RAI, also called I-131) can be used to treat thyroid cancer. The RAI collects mainly in thyroid cells, where the radiation can destroy the thyroid gland and any other thyroid cells (including cancer cells) that take up iodine, with little effect on the rest of your body.
Can radioactive iodine cure cancer?
Radioactive iodine is an effective type of treatment for cancer of the thyroid gland. This is because the radioactive iodine from the drink or capsule is absorbed into your body and picked up by the thyroid cancer cells, even if they have spread to other parts of the body. The radiation then destroys the cancer cells.
Can you buy iodine pills?
Since it is not a prescription drug, you can buy it over the Internet. As with other drugs, make sure the KI you buy has been approved by the FDA. A supply of KI has been made available to people who live within 10 miles of a nuclear power plant in New York State.
How long does I-131 stay in your system?
How long does radioiodine stay in your body? The radioiodine from your treatment will remain in your body temporarily. Most of the radioiodine not collected by your residual thyroid tissue will be eliminated during the first two days after your treatment.
Why is iodine-131 harmful?
I-131 collects in the thyroid gland. People exposed to I-131, especially during childhood, may have an increased risk of thyroid disease, including thyroid cancer. Thyroid cancer is uncommon and is usually curable. Typically, it is a slow-growing cancer that is highly treatable.
Which is better radioactive iodine or surgery?
Surgery for hyperthyroidism was associated with a lower risk of all-cause and cardiovascular death as compared to radioactive iodine therapy during long-term follow-up, particularly in men.
Does radioactive iodine treatment shorten your life?
Quality of life is worse at 6-10 years after radioactive iodine therapy of Graves' disease compared with treatment with antithyroid drugs or surgery. Quality of life is worse at 6-10 years after radioactive iodine therapy of Graves' disease compared with treatment with antithyroid drugs or surgery.
What are the chances of getting cancer from radioactive iodine?
Young adults who received radioactive iodine therapy for differentiated thyroid cancer were at 92% increased risk for leukemia and 23% increased risk for any solid malignancies vs. those who did not receive radioactive iodine therapy.
What type of cancer does radioactive iodine cause?
Findings from a study of patients who received radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment for hyperthyroidism show an association between the dose of treatment and long-term risk of death from solid cancers, including breast cancer.
Does radioactive iodine affect the brain?
While further study is needed, the authors suggest that the radiation from radioactive iodine therapy affect the large arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain thus increasing the risk of a stroke.
How to reduce radioiodine contamination?
Since most of the radioiodine leaves your body in your urine, good toilet hygiene and careful, thorough washing of your hands will reduce the possibility of contamination.
How to avoid radiation exposure?
There are three basic principles to remember: 1 Distance: The greater the distance you are from others, the less radiation they will receive. Try not to remain in close contact with others for longer than is necessary. 2 Time: Radiation exposure to others depends on how long you remain close to them. You should try to minimize the time spent in close contact with others. 3 Hygiene: good hygiene minimizes the possibility that other people will be contaminated with the radioiodine that leaves your body. Since most of the radioiodine leaves your body in your urine, good toilet hygiene and careful, thorough washing of your hands will reduce the possibility of contamination.
How often do radiation safety specialists come to your room?
A radiation safety specialist will come to your room one to two times a day to measure your radiation levels. These radiation levels will be less everyday. On discharge from the hospital, a minimal amount of radiation remains in your body and will go away over the next several weeks.
How far away should family members be from you on radiation?
If you are treated as an outpatient, family members should not come closer than six feet from you the first day and three feet the second day. Further precautions will most likely not be necessary after this, but this will be determined by the radiation safety specialists with a specific measurement.
Can you return home after iodine?
Most patients, however, are able to return home immediately after administration of the iodine, and will need to follow specific radiation safety precautions at home. If you are admitted to the hospital, your room will have a protective covering on the floor.
Is iodine 131 radioactive?
Iodine-131 (I-131) is radioactive. Radiation can be measured around your body and I-131 is present in your skin oil and sweat. Whatever touches your skin will pick up a small amount of radiation. The I-131 leaves your body through your urine primarily. Small amounts of I-131 may also leave through your saliva, sweat and feces.
Diagnosis
Any patient with a suspicious thyroid nodule can be referred for evaluation at Hall-Perrine Cancer Center’s Thyroid Clinic. The patient is met by the Thyroid Nurse Navigator and is seen and examined by Dr. Arun Movva, a Board Certified Endocrinologist, and Dr. Vincent Reid, the area’s only fellowship-trained Oncologic Surgeon.
Surgery
If a thyroid cancer is confirmed by biopsy, the first step is usually surgery at Mercy Medical Center by Dr. Reid. The patient is then referred to other specialists based on those results.
Radiation Therapy
Many patients with thyroid cancer benefit from treatment with Radioactive Iodine 131. At the Hall-Perrine Cancer Center, patients undergo comprehensive care with dietary preparation, a consultation with a Medical Physicist, and ongoing support from an Oncology Certified Radiation Oncology Nurse.
Medical Treatment
Most patients then require long-term suppressive synthroid therapy, typically managed by Dr. Movva or Dr. Deb Wilbur a Board Certified Medical Oncologist who has specialized training in thyroid cancer treatment. They follow the patient for the long term and direct any further diagnostic testing.
Survivorship
As patients near the completion of their initial treatment, they meet with an Oncology Certified Radiation Oncology Nurse for a review of their survivorship care plan. The care plan is a summary of the stage and type of their thyroid cancer and recommendations focused on options to maintain and enhance wellness.
What is radioactive iodine?
Radioactive iodine (I-131) Therapy for Thyroid Cancer. Radioactive iodine (RAI) is a therapy used in the treatment of some thyroid cancers, specifically papillary and follicular thyroid cancer. For the thyroid gland to make thyroid hormone, the first step in the process is for the thyroid cells to "take up" iodide from the bloodstream.
How long before I-131 injections?
You may receive injections of a medication called Thyrogen over two days prior to your I-131 therapy. Thyrogen is recombinant TSH and these injections will elevate the TSH level in your blood, which in turn stimulates the thyroid cells to take up the I-131.
What is RAI for thyroid cancer?
RAI for remnant ablation destroys any residual normal thyroid tissue, allowing your physicians to more easily detect if your thyroid cancer comes back . A blood test called thyroglobulin is used in surveillance monitoring of thyroid cancer.
What is RAI used for?
This therapy can be used for several purposes: The most common use of RAI is to destroy (called "ablate") the small amount of normal thyroid that remains (called the "remnant") after you have had thyroid surgery (near-total or total thyroidectomy). This use of RAI is called remnant ablation. Sometimes, but not always, thyroid cancer cells are also ...
How long after I-131 treatment can I go home?
After the whole body scan is completed, you will then receive the oral I-131 treatment pill. After taking the I-131, you will be sent home or, rarely, you may be required to remain in the hospital for a few days . You will be asked to return to the nuclear medicine department 7-10 days later to have another whole body scan, also known as the "post-therapy scan," that will show where the I-131 was deposited in your body. This scan may also identify any new sites of iodine-avid thyroid cancer not seen on the first whole body scan.
How long does it take for I-131 to work?
To prepare you for I-131 therapy and to maximize the effects I-131, there are two things that must happen. First, you must follow a low iodine diet for 1-2 weeks to deplete your body of iodine. Iodine is found in many foods that we eat. This will make your thyroid cells "hungry" for the I-131 and help to increase the amount ...
How long after I-131 can I breastfeed?
Men should not father a child for at least 3 months after treatment. Women should not breastfeed after I-131 treatment; but may be able to breastfeed with future pregnancies.
Remnant Ablation
- RAI for remnant ablation destroys any residual normal thyroid tissue, allowing your physicians to more easily detect if your thyroid cancer comes back. A blood test called thyroglobulin is used in surveillance monitoring of thyroid cancer. Thyroglobulin is a protein that is only produced by either normal thyroid cells or thyroid cancer cells. After surgery you may still have a small amount of n…
Rai Effect on Cancer Cells
- Some thyroid cancer cells also share the same ability as normal thyroid cells to take up iodine from the bloodstream. These are referred to as "iodine-avid". If your cancer cells are able to do this, then I-131 may also destroy microscopic residual thyroid cancer cells or be used as a treatment for thyroid cancer that has spread to lymph nodes or other areas of the body. Doctors …
Preparing For Treatment
- Although I-131 is a pill, you cannot simply take the pill without prior preparation. To prepare you for I-131 therapy and to maximize the effects I-131, there are two things that must happen. First, you must follow a low iodine diet for 1-2 weeks to deplete your body of iodine. Iodine is found in many foods that we eat. This will make your thyroid ...
Treatment Procedure
- Prior to treatment, patients will have a "whole body scan" that is performed one day after taking a small dose of a different radioiodine isotope (I-123). I-123 does not destroy thyroid cells and will allow your treatment team to visualize the location and amount of any remaining thyroid remnant and possibly thyroid cancer. After the whole body scan is completed, you will then receive the or…
Safety After Treatment
- I-131 remains in your system for up to a few weeks and excess not taken up by the thyroid is excreted in urine, stool, saliva and perspiration over the first 1-2 days following treatment. As the radioactivity of the I-131 in your system is a concern for those around you, you need to follow radiation safety precautions after receiving I-131. The length of time one has to follow these pre…
Resources For More Information
- ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc. National Cancer Institute Thyroid Cancer Page American Thyroid Association Radioactive Iodine FAQ's