Radioiodine Ablation

Radioiodine ablation is a radiation therapy in which radioactive iodine (I-131) is administered to destroy or ablate remaining residual healthy thyroid tissue after total thyroidectomy due to cancer. The strength or activity of the radioiodine is range between 80mCi to 150mCi. Patients undergoing this radioiodine ablation need to be admitted to the ward for isolation due to the radioactivity of the iodine. The course of staying is between two to three days depending on the exposure level of the radioiodine.

Radioactive iodine treatment has few side effects, and these occur infrequently:

• A sore throat may occur a few days after the treatment, which can be treated with acetaminophen.
• Rarely, the salivary glands may swell, which is caused by the iodine and not the radioactivity. Some physicians believe that sucking hard candies for a few days can prevent this.
• Mild nausea may develop for a few hours after the iodine is taken, so it is best not to eat two hours before and two hours after the iodine administration.

There are essentially no other permanent side effects from the procedure.

Radioiodine Therapy

Radioactive Iodine I-131 is also used to treat an overactive thyroid, a condition called hyperthyroidism or thyrotoxicosis. It is also known as 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 hormones. The radioiodine will help in controlling the hyperactive gland.

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