Advantages of iodine-131 treatment for thyroid cancer Iodine-131 is a very mature thyroid cancer treatment method with wide indications, good efficacy, low recurrence rate, few side effects, easy and non-invasive, and very mature clinical application. 1.Elimination of surgical residual thyroid tissue and reduction of recurrence and metastasis; 2.A whole-body iodine-131 scan after iodine-131 treatment can detect new metastases that cannot be found by surgery or by other imaging examinations; 3.After iodine-131 treatment, follow-up becomes very easy and sensitive and reliable, and measurement of thyroglobulin (Tg) in blood and ultrasound and X-ray examinations can monitor whether there is recurrence and metastasis; 4.Iodine-131 treatment can be used to monitor the recurrence of thyroid cancer. 4. Iodine-131 treatment for metastatic thyroid cancer is highly targeted, with few side effects and good results. What is the treatment for differentiated thyroid cancer? The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the American Thyroid Association (ATA) jointly recommend The best treatment plan for differentiated thyroid cancer includes three components: surgery, 131 iodine, and thyroid hormone therapy. (1) Surgery. (2) 131 iodine therapy. (3) Thyroid hormone therapy. Why do I need 131 iodine to remove residual thyroid tissue after surgery for differentiated thyroid cancer? After thyroid cancer surgery, it does not mean that everything is fine, but further treatment and long-term follow-up are needed. This is because: (1) Some thyroid tissues are often left behind during the surgery of differentiated thyroid cancer in order not to damage the parathyroid glands, nerves and large blood vessels. （131 iodine is of great clinical value in removing residual thyroid tissue or thyroid cells after surgery. (3) 131 iodine removal improves the 131 iodine uptake rate of metastases and facilitates the removal of metastases. (4) The 131 iodine removal dose is significantly larger than the whole-body imaging dose, which can detect lesions that cannot be detected by the diagnostic dose, playing a dual role of diagnosis and treatment. (5) It is convenient for follow-up observation. Removal of residual thyroid gland can increase 131 iodine uptake in metastatic foci and remove the source of serum Tg production, thus facilitating serum Tg detection of metastatic and recurrent thyroid cancer foci. (6) Reduce recurrence rate and mortality. What is the efficacy of iodine-131 in treating residual foci of differentiated nail cancer? The combined treatment plan of surgery + iodine-131 removal + thyroid hormone suppression therapy has the best efficacy and can reduce the cancer recurrence rate and improve the survival rate. Comparison of the three treatment methods for differentiated nail cancer: 32% recurrence rate with surgery alone, 11% recurrence rate with surgery + thyroid hormone suppression, and 2.7% recurrence rate with surgery + iodine-131 removal + thyroid hormone suppression. What tests should be done before iodine-131 treatment for nail cancer patients? The relevant items should be tested as needed, such as: serum TT3, TT4, FT3, FT4, TSH, Tg, TgA; measurement of thyroid uptake rate of iodine-131 and thyroid imaging; X-ray chest X-ray, ECG, ultrasound and liver and kidney function. What should patients with thyroid cancer pay attention to in their diet before iodine-131 treatment? Most of the iodine-containing drugs, foods and drugs affecting thyroid function can change the iodine-131 uptake function of thyroid gland. Therefore, you should stop eating or taking such foods and drugs for more than 4-6 weeks before taking the medication; such as seafood like kelp and nori; iodide compound iodine solution, thyroid tablets and other medications; some herbs like kombu, shellfish, burdock, mucuna pruriens, etc. Safety of Iodine-131 treatment Iodine-131 treatment is a very safe and reliable treatment method, and the side effects of the treatment are not as terrible as the legend. Although iodine-131 is a radioactive treatment drug, the side effects of this treatment are far less than those of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and do not cause serious vomiting, hair loss, hematuria and other toxic side effects. Studies have shown that iodine-131 itself releases a small amount of gamma rays, and because of its small amount of radiation, it has no adverse effects on the patient’s future marriage or fertility, and does not enhance the probability of tumors in other areas. During the treatment, patients generally have only some mild gastrointestinal reactions, neck swelling and parotid swelling, most of which will be relieved on their own, while some patients with serious reactions can also be relieved after symptomatic treatment, which basically has no impact on patients’ daily life and work. Precautions for iodine-131 treatment of metastatic thyroid cancer 1. The amount of iodine used in the treatment of metastatic thyroid cancer is large, and salpingitis and laryngeal edema may occur within one week after treatment, so oral prednisone can be taken to reduce patients’ reaction. To prevent or reduce the damage of salivary gland by radiation, patients can take oral prednisone or chew chewing gum frequently to promote saliva secretion. 2. After taking iodine-131, patients should drink more water and urinate more frequently to reduce the radiation dose to the whole body and bladder. 3.Appropriate protective treatment of urine within one week after treatment. Patients and family members should not have prolonged contact. 4.Take iodine-131 and start thyroid hormone replacement therapy after 48 hours-72 hours. 5.After discharge from iodine-131 treatment, pay attention to rest, strengthen nutrition, avoid strenuous exercise and mental stimulation, cold and diarrhea. iodine and iodine-containing drugs and food are prohibited for 3-4 weeks. 6. Contraception is generally required for female patients within one year and for male patients within six months. Please consult your physician for details. 7. 3-6 months after iodine-131 treatment, a review at the Department of Nuclear Medicine is required to evaluate the treatment effect or to decide further treatment plan.