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Iodine Therapy for Thyroid Cancer Patients: What to Expect
By Raveena M Prakash
If you are diagnosed with any kind of thyroid cancer, then your doctor might recommend you undergo iodine therapy or radioactive iodine therapy. This procedure is also commonly known as RAI, or I-131 therapy. If you are concerned about how this medical procedure works and how it destroys thyroid tissues and cancer cells after the surgery, then read further; this blog is for you!
In this blog, we’ll discover more about how this procedure works in patients, how to prepare for RAI therapy, and risks and side effects!
What is Radioactive Iodine Therapy?
Radioactive iodine therapy is generally used to treat several types of thyroid cancer and hyperthyroidism, especially papillary and follicular types, which naturally absorb iodine. This therapy generally uses a radioactive iodine form, which is also known as I-131, which is used to target and destroy cells because these thyroid glands naturally absorb the iodine elements.
These procedures, generally used to treat thyroid cancer, are used to remove any types of cancer cells from the thyroid glands.
How does Iodine therapy works in Thyroid cancer patients
For people diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer or follicular thyroid cancer, this radioactive iodine therapy might be part of the treatment plan. Your medical team might recommend this therapy for you, which aims to destroy any thyroid tissues that couldn’t be removed from surgery.
These treatments are also used to treat thyroid cancer that has spread due to metastasis to the lymph nodes and other parts of the body. These therapies won’t be used in conditions like anaplastic thyroid cancer and medullary thyroid cancer, because these types of cancer won’t absorb iodine.
What to expect for this procedure for thyroid cancer?
Here’s how you can prepare for the procedure, the preparation steps may include:
- Blood tests to check for your thyroid hormone levels.
- Limiting or restricting the intake of any kinds of thyroid-suppressing medicines.
- Following a low-iodine diet plan for one or two weeks
- Receiving injections of any thyroid stimulating hormones (TSH) to increase radioactive iodine levels to understand how much iodine your thyroid absorbs.
- If you are a breastfeeding mother, then the doctor might suggest you stop at least six weeks before the procedures.
Here’s what you can expect for your procedure.
This procedure is typically observed as a brief procedure; in this procedure, your healthcare team might ask you to swallow the radioiodine or get an IV injection in the hospital.
The preparation for this procedure, along with some precautions patients may need to take after, is more time-intensive than the treatment itself.
What happens after the procedure?
After completing the iodine procedure, your doctor might monitor you for a few hours. This will mainly depend on the size of the dose and other factors like the patient's overall health conditions and age, etc. You can go home after some time, while in some cases, a doctor might recommend staying in the hospital for one or two days.
Risks & Side effects
There are some risks and side effects associated with these therapy.
Here are some short-term side effects, including:
- Neck tenderness and swelling
- Nausea and vomiting
- Experiencing swelling and tenderness of the salivary glands
- Dry mouth
- Taste changes
- Dry eyes
- Inflammation in stomach lining (gastritis)
Possible fertility problems: One of the most possible side effects of performing these therapies in men is a reduced sperm count, while in women, the common side effects are menstrual irregularities or temporary fertility issues that may arise.
Risk of hypothyroidism:The radioactive iodine (RAI) destroys the thyroid tissue; they will likely have reduced thyroid tissue or cancer cells or nonexistent natural thyroid function, which often needs lifelong hormone pill intake.
Very rare risks: Performing these procedures will slightly increase the risk of other types of cancers due to radiation exposure. This will possibly damage the salivary glands over time.
Tips for patients
If you are suggested to undergo Radioactive Iodine therapy, follow your doctor’s instructions in terms of your diet and hormone therapy.
Here are some of the tips for patients who are suggested to undergo an Iodine therapy, including:
- Diet: A low-iodine diet is required for one or two weeks before RAI to help the patient’s iodine levels and make the thyroid cells start to absorb the iodine levels more effectively. Follow your doctor's instructions till it's safe to switch to a normal diet.
- Hormone therapy: For the therapy to work effectively in patients, your thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level must be high enough for the thyroid cells to absorb the radioactive iodine. Your healthcare provider will instruct patients when to stop and restart the thyroid hormone medication. The timing is highly important to get the TSH level at the time of the treatments.
- Stay hydrated: Try to drink plenty of water and most healthcare providers suggest drinking at least 3-4 litres of water or water-based drinks daily after the treatment.
- Synthetic TSH (Thyrogen) Injections: In some cases, your doctor might suggest you take recombinant human TSH (Thyrogen injections) as an alternative to stopping your hormone medication entirely for procedures like Radioactive iodine therapy.
- Plan for Isolation and precautions: After the radiation therapy, some precautions are needed to reduce the exposure of radiation to others, especially children and pregnant women.
Consult Today
Radioactive iodine therapy, also referred to as iodine therapy, is a significant tool in treating and managing several thyroid cancers and thyroid-related conditions. When this therapy is used for certain thyroid cancers while under the right conditions, it helps to clear any kind of thyroid tissue left after the surgical procedure. This procedure helps to reduce the chance of recurrence and improve long-term treatment outcomes. Like any other medical treatments, it may also involve preparation, side effects, and follow-ups, but many people who go through these procedures will do well after these procedures.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some side effects of radioactive iodine therapy, including:
- Neck tenderness and swelling
- Salivary (spit) gland swelling, it may appear like cheek swelling
- Dry mouth
- Inflammation in stomach lining
- Taste changes
- Dry eyes
The risks of radioactive iodine therapy may include:
- Low sperm count and male infertility for up to two years after the treatment.
- Irregular periods (like delays in menstruation) for up to one year after the treatment.
- Thyroid storm (extremely high thyroid levels)
All of these risks or complications are quite rare in people.
Radioactive iodine is effective at destroying the thyroid tissue. This is a standard treatment used for certain thyroid conditions in the body.
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