Precautions for iodine 131 treatment after differentiated thyroid cancer surgery

  1. If there is too much residual thyroid tissue after surgery, it is recommended to operate again to remove as much residual thyroid tissue as possible; however, those who are contraindicated to surgery or refuse surgery can be treated with iodine 131 directly; 2. Stop using L-T4 for at least 2-3 weeks or use recombinant human TSH (rhTSH) to raise serum TSH to >30 mU/L before iodine 131 treatment; 3. Avoid iodine-containing contrast agents and medications (e.g., amiodarone, etc.) for 1-2 weeks; 4. Perform nuclide whole-body imaging between 2-10 days after iodine 131 therapy; 5. Start (or continue) L-T4 therapy within 24-72 hours after iodine 131 therapy; 6. Avoid pregnancy in female patients for 6-12 months after iodine 131 therapy.