Radioactive Iodine Therapy

Radioactive iodine is often used in medicine to treat certain conditions. The two forms of radioactive iodine that are commonly used are I-131 and I-123. Both the forms release gamma rays that can penetrate long distances and can be easily detected from outside the body. Radioactive iodine treatment, also known as radioactive iodine therapy is generally used to treat hyperthyroidism. It is also one of the options used to treat cancer of the thyroid.

What is Radioactive Iodine Therapy?

This is a type of radiation treatment, that involves the use of radioactive form of iodine, I-131. This therapy is generally recommended as a treatment for hyperthyroidism. This is normally done when, thyroid medication or surgery fails to cure the condition. This therapy is also used to treat thyroid nodules, that produce excessive amounts of thyroid hormones and other thyroid problems. This treatment destroys the thyroid gland completely and ensures that no thyroid cells remain intact. Hence, it is sometimes recommended as a treatment for thyroid cancer.

How does Radioactive Iodine Therapy Work?

This treatment is based on the fact that thyroid gland actively absorbs all the iodine from blood. It uses this iodine to produce thyroid hormones that are required for various functions of the body. Now, when a radioactive form of iodine enters the body, it is absorbed by the stomach and intestine, and is carried to the thyroid through the bloodstream. The thyroid gland readily takes up all the radioactive iodine from the blood. When this form of iodine, enters the thyroid gland, it disrupts the function of the thyroid cells, ultimately destroying all the thyroid cells present in the thyroid gland as well as those present anywhere else in the body.

Radioactive iodine for thyroid cancer is a type of internal radiation treatment, that involves administration of small doses of radioactive iodine by mouth, in the form of liquid or capsules. The radioactive iodine is specific in its action and does not affect the rest of the body. It passes out of the body after a few weeks. The higher the dose, the more the number of thyroid cells that cease their functions. This treatment option has been used to treat patients with papillary or follicular thyroid cancers. It can even be used to treat thyroid cancer that has spread to the neck or other parts of the body. However, this therapy is not recommended for those with anaplastic thyroid cancer or medullary thyroid cancer, as these types of cancers show negligible response to the treatment

What are the Side Effects of Radioactive Iodine Therapy?

• Nausea
• Dry mouth
• Change in taste
• Upset stomach
• Swelling of the salivary glands
• Neck tenderness
• Sore throat
• Vomiting

They are temporary and fade away in a few weeks time. However, large doses of radioactive iodine may cause loss of fertility in men. Research shows that a very small number of people developed leukemia, after treatment with large doses of radioactive iodine.

Radioactive iodine gets accumulated in the neck region for a few days after the treatment. Some precautions need to be taken to prevent friends and family from being exposed to the radiation. People treated with radioactive iodine should follow the precautions given below:

• Avoid prolonged contact with people, especially children and pregnant women
• Do not share food and utensils, like glasses, dishes, bottles, water, etc.
• Drink lots of water and other fluids, that help the radioactive iodine to pass out quickly from the body
• Wash the laundry of the treated person separately
• Stop breast feeding as the radioactive iodine is concentrated and excreted in the breast milk

Radioactive iodine destroys all the thyroid cells, and hence, the people treated for thyroid cancer have to take thyroid hormone pills for the rest of their life!