Radioactive iodine(also called Iodine-131 or I131) is a substance that is used to treat thyroid cancer. Both thyroid cancer and thyroid tissue absorb iodine. This helps us find and treat areas of active thyroid cancer.
What is the half life of iodine 131?
Natural remedies for hyperthyroidism and general thyroid function improvement include:
- Dietary changes , such as a gluten-free diet
- Specific supplements, such as selenium, probiotics, and vitamin D
- Herbs, such as bugleweed and lemon balm
What is natural cure for thyroid problems?
You can expect to live a fairly normal life after radioactive iodine treatment but your life will probably not be exactly as it was before your procedure. For most people, this means that you can expect to live at 80-90% of your 'normal'.
What to expect after radioactive iodine treatment?
Iodine supplements may cause significant side effects, including nausea, abdominal pain, headache, diarrhoea, a metallic taste in the mouth and a runny nose. Iodine supplements can also cause ...
What are the side effects of iodine supplements?
How does iodine-131 help thyroid cancer?
It uses a radioactive form of iodine called iodine 131 (I-131). It is a useful treatment in thyroid cancer because the thyroid gland absorbs and stores most of the iodine in your body. The thyroid gland gets iodine from certain foods and uses this to make essential thyroid hormones.
How is iodine-131 used in diagnosis?
I-131 is a radioactive iodine salt that alters the mechanism of iodine absorption in the thyroid gland. Its use is particularly useful in the destruction of cells in the thyroid gland that are overactive. It can also be used in diagnostic imaging techniques used for pheochromocytoma and neuroblastoma.
Why is iodine used for thyroid cancer?
Radioactive iodine enters your bloodstream and is taken up by any thyroid- like cells. The radioactivity destroys the cancer cells. The radioactive iodine gives off radiation nearby and destroys the cancer cells over time.
How does iodine-131 cause thyroid cancer?
As iodine-131 builds up in the thyroid gland, it emits bursts of radiation that can damage DNA and other genetic material. Such damage can remove the normal limits to cell growth and division. Unchecked growth of thyroid tissue is thyroid cancer.
How does iodine help with radiation?
When you take potassium iodide, your thyroid gland absorbs it. If you get the right amount at the right time, it will saturate your thyroid gland. This can help block any inhaled or ingested radioactive iodine from being absorbed by your thyroid. This lowers your risk for radiation damage to that gland.
How iodine is used in medicine?
Iodine is used to treat and prevent iodine deficiency and as an antiseptic. For iodine deficiency it can be given by mouth or injection into a muscle. As an antiseptic it may be used on wounds that are wet or to disinfect the skin before surgery.
What is the most common treatment for thyroid cancer?
Most cancers are treated with removal of the thyroid gland (thyroidectomy), although small tumors that have not spread outside the thyroid gland may be treated by just removing the side of the thyroid containing the tumor (lobectomy).
What is radiation treatment for thyroid cancer?
External beam radiation therapy uses high-energy rays (or particles) to destroy cancer cells or slow their growth. A carefully focused beam of radiation is delivered from a machine outside the body. This type of radiation therapy is most often used to treat medullary thyroid cancer and anaplastic thyroid cancer.
What is iodine therapy for thyroid?
Radioactive iodine (RAI) is treatment for overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) and certain types of thyroid cancer. The term “radioactive” may sound frightening, but it is a safe, generally well-tolerated, and reliable treatment that targets thyroid cells so there is little exposure to the rest of your body's cells.
What is the radiation used for thyroid cancer?
The radiation dose used here is much stronger than the one used in radioiodine scans, which are described in Tests for Thyroid Cancer. This treatment can be used to ablate (destroy) any thyroid tissue not removed by surgery or to treat some types of thyroid cancer that have spread to lymph nodes and other parts of the body.
How long should I take thyrotropin before RAI?
Another way is to get an injection (shot) of thyrotropin (Thyrogen), which can make withholding thyroid hormone for a long period of time unnecessary. This drug is given daily for 2 days, followed by RAI on the 3 rd day. Most doctors also recommend that you follow a low iodine diet for 1 or 2 weeks before treatment.
Can you use rai for thyroid cancer?
Discuss your risks and benefits of RAI therapy with your doctor. Radioactive iodine therapy cannot be used to treat anaplastic (undifferentiated) and medullary thyroid carcinomas because these types of cancer do not take up iodine.
Does radioactive iodine help with thyroid cancer?
Radioactive iodine therapy helps people live longer if they have papillary or follicular thyroid cancer (differentiated thyroid cancer) that has spread to the neck or other body parts, and it is now standard practice in such cases. But the benefits of RAI therapy are less clear for people with small cancers of the thyroid gland ...
What is iodine 131 used for?
Iodine-131 is successfully used in the treatment of hyperthyroidism and differentiated thyroid cancer. Thyroid is the critical organ for iodine. Iodine is taken up by the thyroid follicular cells. Radioactive isotope iodine-131 simultaneously emits two types of radiation: radiation beta minus (β-) used for the treatment and gamma (γ) ...
How to reduce exposure to ionizing radiation?
In accordance with the principles of radiation protection, reducing exposure to ionizing radiation should be achieved by: use of proper shieldings, organization of work, appropriate distance from the radiation source and reducing the time of exposure. Treatment with I-131, depending on medical indications, may be carried out on stationary ...
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.
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 the first step in thyroid hormone production?
TSH is what signals the thyroid cells to produce thyroid hormone and, as discussed above, the first step in thyroid hormone production is for the thyroid cells to take up iodide from the bloodstream. Therefore, to maximize the amount of I-131 that enters the thyroid cells, your TSH level must be high.
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.
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.
What is radioactive iodine?
Radioactive Iodine I-131 (also called Radioiodine I-131) therapy is a treatment for an overactive thyroid, a condition called hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism can be caused by Graves' disease, in which the entire thyroid gland is overactive, or by nodules within the gland which are locally overactive in producing too much thyroid hormone.
What is radioiodine therapy?
Settings. Fullscreen. Radioiodine therapy is a nuclear medicine treatment for an overactive thyroid, a condition called hyperthyroidism, and also may be used to treat thyroid cancer. When a small dose of radioactive iodine I-131 (an isotope of iodine that emits radiation) is swallowed, it is absorbed into the bloodstream and concentrated by ...
What is the name of the isotope of iodine that is absorbed into the bloodstream
When a thyroid gland is overactive, it produces too much of these hormones, accelerating the metabolism. Radioactive iodine (I-131), an isotope of iodine that emits radiation, is used for medical purposes. When a small dose of I-131 is swallowed, it is absorbed into the bloodstream in the gastrointestinal ...
How long does it take for iodine to leave the body?
The majority of the radioactive iodine that has not been absorbed leaves the body during the first two days following the treatment, primarily through the urine. Small amounts will also be excreted in saliva, sweat, tears, vaginal secretions, and feces.
Where is radioiodine 131 absorbed?
The radioiodine I-131 is swallowed in a single dose, in capsule or liquid form, and is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and concentrated from the blood by the thyroid gland, where it begins destroying the gland's cells.
Where is I-131 absorbed?
When a small dose of I-131 is swallowed, it is absorbed into the bloodstream in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and concentrated from the blood by the thyroid gland, where it begins destroying the gland's cells. Radioactive iodine I-131 may also be used to treat thyroid cancer. top of page.
How long after I-131 can I breastfeed?
Also, it is recommended that pregnancy be delayed until at least six to 12 months after I-131 treatment.
Administration
- I-131 can be therapeutically administered as a single capsule that is to be taken orally. The radioactive iodine emits both beta and gamma radiation. The beta radiation is the active agent that kills the overactive thyroid cells and travels small distances, not usually exiting from the pati…
Adverse Effects
- Treatment with radioactive iodine in therapeutic doses is well tolerated and is considered to be a safe and effective treatment for hyperthyroidism. The most common adverse effect is hypothyroidism, due to the excessive destruction of thyroid cells that lead to under activity of the gland. Some patients with severe hyperthyroidism may experience worsening of symptoms imm…
Post-Treatment Isolation and Monitoring
- Due to the exposure to I-131 in patients receiving therapeutic doses, there is a need for some level of isolation following therapy to minimize the risk to surrounding individuals. The majority of the radioactive iodine is eliminated from the body through natural decay in the first 3-5 days following administration, with total elimination several weeks later. The following methods help to reduce …
References
Further Reading
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 o...
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 cells "hungry" for the I-131 and help to incre…
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