What is the most common complication of radioiodine therapy?

Risks and side effects
  • Neck tenderness and swelling.
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Swelling and tenderness of the salivary glands.
  • Dry mouth.
  • Taste changes.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cancer.org


Which of the following is the most common complication of radioiodine treatment of Graves disease?

Background. Radioactive iodine (I131) is a common definitive treatment for Graves' Disease. Potential complications include worsening, or new development of Graves' eye disease and development of a radiation thyroiditis.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


What is the main drawback of radioactive iodine in treatment of Graves disease?

While it is generally safe to give RAI, patients may experience some side effects of therapy. The risk of eventual hypothyroidism is high, especially after treatment of GD. There can be transient exacerbation of hyperthyroid symptoms due to radiation thyroiditis.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


What are the long term side effects of radioactive iodine?

Possible long term side effects
  • Ability to have children (fertility) Some women may have irregular periods after radioactive iodine treatment. ...
  • Inflammation of the salivary glands (where spit is made) ...
  • Tiredness. ...
  • Dry or watery eyes. ...
  • Lower levels of blood cells. ...
  • Lung problems. ...
  • Second cancers.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cancerresearchuk.org


What are the side effects of iodine 131?

Common side effects of Sodium Iodide I 131 include nausea, vomiting, chest pain, rapid heart rate, itching skin, rash, and hives. Dosing of Sodium Iodide I 131 ranges widely from 5 to 1000 microcuries, depending on the procedure being performed. Sodium Iodide I 131 may interact with other drugs.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on rxlist.com


The risks of radioactive iodine treatment in thyroid cancer



What are the risks of radioactive iodine treatment?

People who have had RAI therapy may have a slightly increased risk of developing leukemia, stomach cancer, and salivary gland cancer in the future.
...
Short-term side effects of RAI treatment may include:
  • Neck tenderness and swelling.
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Swelling and tenderness of the salivary glands.
  • Dry mouth.
  • Taste changes.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cancer.org


Can radioactive iodine cause other cancers?

Patients treated with radioactive iodine also have an increased risk of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), stomach cancer, and salivary gland cancer.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cancer.org


Is there an alternative to radioactive iodine?

These alternative therapies include two major categories: redifferentiation therapy and recent molecular target therapy. Several clinical trials have investigated these therapies. They demonstrated potential effects of the therapies, although the results have been somewhat limited so far.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


Does radioactive iodine affect your immune system?

Treatment of Graves' disease patients with radioactive iodide (RAI) can induce two therapeutically important alterations in immune response to thyroid antigens. These may be characterized as a first response and a second phase response.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


How many times can you have radioactive iodine treatment?

You may only need to have this treatment once. But it can be repeated every 3 months if needed, until there is no sign of any thyroid cancer on your scans.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cancerresearchuk.org


Can you still have Graves disease after radioactive iodine treatment?

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.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on thyroid.org


Can Graves disease come back after radioactive iodine treatment?

Abstract. The use of radioactive iodine (131I) in the treatment of Graves' disease results frequently in hypothyroidism requiring thyroid hormone supplementation. Relapse of Graves' disease months after inadequate treatment with 131I is well-recognized.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


Can radioactive iodine cause kidney problems?

The renal cast formation and tubular damage are evaluated by a pathologist in a blinded manner. Results: Ablative radioiodine-131 therapy induced renal tubular damage was significantly higher in the radioactive iodine fifth day group (RI-5) when compared with the Sham group (p=0.01) and Amifostine group (p=0.01).
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


What causes Graves disease to flare up?

Emotional or physical stress. Stressful life events or illness may act as a trigger for the onset of Graves' disease among people who have genes that increase their risk. Pregnancy. Pregnancy or recent childbirth may increase the risk of the disorder, particularly among women who have genes that increase their risk.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on mayoclinic.org


How does Graves disease affect the brain?

He said if the ailment's excessive production of thyroid hormone affects the brain, it can cause anxiousness, nervousness, and irritability. In more severe cases, it can affect decision-making and even lead to sociopathic behavior.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on healthline.com


What causes Graves disease to come out of remission?

It is assumed that Graves' disease has a high tendency to spontaneous remission in most patients. However, remission is hindered by the running of a vicious cycle: the hyperthyroid state worsens the autoimmune aberration that leads to generation of more TSH receptor-stimulating antibodies (TSH-R-Ab), etc.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on eje.bioscientifica.com


How can I boost my immune system after radiation?

One is that people tend to take newer immunotherapy drugs after other options failed. Those treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation, are known to lower your immune response.
...
  1. Sleep Well. Aim for 7 hours of sleep a night. ...
  2. Eat Smart. ...
  3. Get Moving. ...
  4. Manage Stress. ...
  5. Stay Away From Illness.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on webmd.com


Can the thyroid gland grow back after radioactive iodine?

Once hypothyroidism has been achieved, it is usually irreversible with the patient requiring lifelong thyroid replacement. Recurrence of hyperthyroidism after RAI therapy may be due to inadequate dosing or early Marine Lenhart syndrome.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


Can Covid trigger thyroid problems?

COVID-19 has been suggested to trigger the activation of pre-existing thyroid disease or autoimmunity. Furthermore, patients with uncontrolled thyrotoxicosis are at risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection-related consequences.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


What happens if radioactive iodine does not work?

Thyroid cancer that no longer responds to radioactive iodine may become sensitive after starting anti-cancer drugs.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on thyroid.org


Which is better thyroid surgery or radioactive iodine?

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.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on thyroid.org


Can you refuse radioactive iodine treatment?

When patients refuse RAI therapy, the harm associated with no treatment (as in thyroid cancer) also must be weighed and communicated to the patients. In many cases of GD, for example, the use of antithyroid medications or surgical subtotal thyroidectomy may provide appropriate therapy without the use of RAI.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on tech.snmjournals.org


Does thyroid removal shorten life expectancy?

We have also shown that treatment per se (thyroidectomy, high-dose radioactive iodine and thyroid hormone medication) is safe and does not shorten life expectancy.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on erc.bioscientifica.com


Can radioactive iodine cause multiple myeloma?

Radioactive iodine therapy did not appear to be associated with an increased risk of death from leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma or multiple myeloma. The authors noted that this was unexpected given previous findings of an elevated risk of leukemia in patients with thyroid cancer who received higher levels of radiation.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on mdedge.com


Can your thyroid grow back?

Most people do very well after treatment, but follow-up care is very important since most thyroid cancers grow slowly and can recur even 10 to 20 years after initial treatment.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cancer.org