Read press release Radioactive iodine therapy
This page tells you about radioactive iodine therapy as a treatment for some types of cancer. There is information about
Radioactive iodine is a type of iodine that is radioactive – iodine 131. It is also called radio iodine. You have radioactive iodine as a capsule or drink. It has no smell and is colourless.
Radioactive iodine is a very effective type of treatment for cancer of the thyroid gland. Thyroid cells, even cancerous ones, absorb iodine.
The radioactive iodine from the drink or capsule is absorbed into your body and picked up by the thyroid cancer cells wherever they are. So it can kill the cancer cells even if they have spread.
This is known as targeted radiotherapy because the treatment goes straight to the cancer and has very little effect on cells in the body that are not cancerous.
You may be asked to eat a low iodine diet before you have treatment with radioactive iodine. Your doctor or specialist nurse may also ask you to change your thyroid hormone medicines or other medicines for a while. There is information about this in the thyroid cancer section.
Radioactive iodine can be attached to a chemical called MIBG – meta-iodo-benzyl-guanidine. MIBG is taken up by a rare childhood tumour called neuroblastoma, a cancer called phaeochromocytoma that affects the adrenal glands, and carcinoid tumours. It can be used to diagnose and treat these tumours.
Radioactive iodine treatment can make you radioactive for 4 or more days. The staff will tell you about the radiation safety procedures you need to follow. Any radioactive iodine which is not absorbed by your thyroid leaves your body in your sweat and urine.
You need to drink plenty of fluids during your treatment. This helps to flush the iodine out of your body.
You'll be checked regularly for the amount of radiation in your body. You can go home as soon as it falls to a safe level, usually after about 4 to 7 days. You may be given some safety steps to follow for a while when you get home, for instance if you will be in contact with children or pregnant women. Your radiotherapy doctor (clinical oncologist), physicist or specialist nurse will explain these before you leave hospital.
Don't forget to look at the thyroid cancer reading list and the thyroid cancer organisations page for sources of information about radioactive iodine.
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Mrs Renée Dangoor
CancerHelp UK is generously supported by Dr N E Dangoor CBE to honour the life of Mrs Renée Dangoor
