Why radioactive iodine endo-therapy is effective for thyroid cancer
1. Thyroid cells, which take in iodine from products such as kelp to synthesize thyroid hormones. Thyroid cancers such as papillary and follicular carcinomas, which have the same nature as normal thyroid cells, ingest ordinary iodine as well as radioactive iodine. When a solution containing radioactive iodine is taken, the radioactive iodine is taken up by the thyroid cancer cells and they are destroyed. After surgical removal, metastases in the lymph nodes surrounding the thyroid gland can also be destroyed with radioactive iodine internal therapy. This method is also effective if the thyroid cancer has metastases.
However, radioactive iodine endo-therapy is suitable for patients with complete removal of thyroid tissue, and if there is still a part of thyroid tissue left, it must be discussed fully before proceeding.
2.What are the advantages of radioactive iodine internal therapy in the treatment of thyroid cancer?
In patients who have had their thyroid gland surgically removed, treatment with radioactive iodine has the following advantages.
(1) It is thought that surgery can completely remove the thyroid gland, but many patients have a large number of small thyroid glands left behind that are not visible to the naked eye. These residual thyroid tissues contain cancer cells. Radioactive iodine treatment can destroy the invisible thyroid tissue.
(2) Thyroid cancer, often seen when the lungs and lymph nodes metastasize, metastatic thyroid cancer can be destroyed by radioactive iodine treatment (in age, especially in patients within 40 years of age, the treatment effect is higher than others).
3. The way radioactive iodine is distributed.
Radioactive iodine is taken up by the thyroid tissue that remains. Moreover, metastases of thyroid cancer of the same nature as the thyroid gland also take up radioactive iodine.
4. How effective.
Radioactive iodine treatment for thyroid cancer has been very well experienced and recognized for its effectiveness, but unfortunately I do not have detailed data to report. The following is a report from the United States: the mortality rate of thyroid cancer patients was investigated for 30 years: the mortality rate of patients who underwent surgical resection was 9% and the recurrence rate was 38%, while the mortality rate of patients who underwent surgical resection + radioactive iodine treatment was 3% and the recurrence rate was 16%. Patients treated with surgical resection (no residual thyroid tissue) + radioactive iodine had a mortality rate of 0% and a recurrence rate of 9%.
Administration and use of radioactive iodine
1. Iodine-restricted diet.
Radioactive iodine can be taken up by the thyroid gland as well as iodine in food. In order for the thyroid to take up more iodine, the amount of iodine in food should be restricted before treatment. To this end, for about two weeks prior to treatment, a controlled diet of.
(1) seaweeds (kelp, wakame), iodized eggs, condiments containing kelp, seafood such as sea fish, sea shrimp and sea crab should be restricted
(2) Drugs containing a lot of iodine (mouthwash, iodine contrast media) should be avoided.
(3) Salt, if you eat iodized salt, then change to coarse salt. If you can’t buy it, you can put salt earlier when stir-frying, or store iodized salt with the lid of the container open.
2. Stop taking thyroid hormone preparations.
To enable thyroid cancer to take in more radioactive iodine, stop using thyroid hormone preparations for more than 4 weeks. The thyroid gland is stimulated by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) secreted by the pituitary gland to take in large amounts of iodine and synthesize thyroid hormones. TSH is secreted in large amounts when there is a decrease in thyroid hormones in the body, which raises the level of thyroid hormones. The state of surgical removal of thyroid tissue and the state of discontinuation of thyroid hormone preparations, of course, causes a decrease in thyroid hormone secretion and a large amount of TSH secretion, so that thyroid cancer, which has the same nature as the thyroid gland, can take in more radioactive iodine.
3. Amount of radioactive iodine given.
The amount of radioactive iodine treatment corresponding to thyroid cancer is related to the patient’s physique, age, gender and symptoms, and should be considered on a case-by-case basis.
4.Method of giving radioactive iodine.
Take a solution containing radioactive iodine and stay in a radiation treatment ward for about a week. (PS: If the amount of radioactive iodine used exceeds the standard value, the radiation treatment room should be used in accordance with the law). You can move freely in the radiation treatment ward, but anything used in the ward is contaminated with isotopes, so you cannot take anything out of the ward.
5. Precautions after treatment
(1) Most of the radioactive iodine taken is excreted by urine, and a small amount is excreted by sweat and saliva. During this week, be alone in the radiation treatment ward and do not irradiate others.
(2) Drink a lot of water in the first three days. It is conducive to the early excretion of the remaining iodine from the body.
(3) Contraception for 6 months. Most of the radioactive iodine disappears from the body at one month, but the absolutely safe time for contraception is 6 months.