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Radioactive Iodine Treatment (RAI) |
RAI Part 1
This is only used for Papillary and Follicular thyroid cancers.
Like ordinary iodine in the diet, radioactive iodine is taken up by any remaining normal thyroid cells and possibly by thyroid cancer cells as well. The radioactive form of iodine is used to destroy any remaining thyroid cells.
Before this treatment can be given, the patient needs to be
prepared so that the treatment stands the best chance of working.
Preparing for RAI
Step 1 - Low Iodine Diet
This is recommended in order to get as much of the radioactive
iodine to the treatment areas of the body and to stop iodine in
the diet from interfering with the treatment.
There is quite a variation in the amount of time that different
hospitals and doctors suggest for the low iodine diet.
You are likely to be asked to cut down the amount of iodine in your
diet for between 1 and 4 weeks before your treatment. You will be
able to eat normally again once the treatment has been finished.
The details of the diet will be given by your own hospital team but the
main things that contain iodine that you will need to cut down or
avoid are fish and dairy produce.
Step 2 - Producing A High Level of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
(TSH)
There are 2 ways of getting this hormone level high enough in the
blood to allow the radioactive iodine to do what it needs to do.
- The first option is to stop thyroid hormone medication and allow the body to make a larger amount of TSH than usual.
- The second option is to give the TSH in an artificial way by injections (recombinant human TSH, rhTSH, ‘Thyrogen’™). The injections are given on the 2 days before the radioactive iodine and are given by injection into the muscle in the buttock. This allows the patient to continue on their thyroid hormones throughout the preparation and treatment process.
Side effects are uncommon and generally mild. Some people feel
sick, have a headache or feel weak with aching muscles ( like having
flu) after their injections. A few people have experienced a rash.
This option is not as widely available and is not suitable for all
patients.
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