Radioiodine Treatment

The main treatment for thyroid cancer is surgery, and most patients will have a total or partial thyroidectomy. This is where the surgeon removes all or part of the thyroid gland.

If you have follicular or papillary cancer, your consultant may advise treatment with radioactive iodine (RAI) after surgery. This treatment should kill off any remaining thyroid tissue that has been left by the surgeon, and also any cells elsewhere in your body.

Your doctor will explain the procedure in detail to you, and will tell you how the drink or tablet that he gives you will make you radioactive during and after treatment. If he does not have any leaflets about the treatment, you can get them from the British Thyroid Association, or see the Royal Marsden Hospital website. You will need to stay in hospital for about 2-4 days.

Many doctors suggest that you prepare for the treatment by following a low-iodine diet, to make the treatment more effective. When you come home from the hospital, you will still be radioactive, and should stay away from your family for the times suggested. More information on this can be found in the Yahoo! Support group for thyroid cancer sufferers, in the leaflets mentioned above, and in Chapter 5 of the booklet.

Your doctor will also ask you to stop taking your thyroxine tablets for four weeks before the treatment. This will increase the amount of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone in your blood, and increase the activity of any thyroid cells in your body. This means that when you are given the radioactive iodine, the cells are ready to take it up eagerly.

Some people experience unpleasant side-effects from being off their thyroxine, and from the RAI itself, e.g. constipation, bloating, excessive tiredness, nausea. These can be rather uncomfortable, but should clear quite quickly once you come out of hospital. Tell your consultant as soon as they start, to find out what tricks or tablets will work best to ease your symptoms.

Jobs to do while waiting for your RAI:

o       Arrange to have very small children looked after by someone else when you first come out of hospital.

o       Agree where your partner is going to sleep when you come home.

o       Cook lots of meals and put them in the freezer.

o       Sort out books, magazines, puzzle books, jigsaw puzzle, pack of cards, or other games to take into hospital. Check first if they allow you to take them back out again.

o       Buy sour sweets to take in to keep your salivary glands working, and pep up tired taste buds.

o       Ask if your room has a video/audio cassette player in it, and sort out some favourite videos/audio tapes to take in.

o       Buy Patientline cards, or pack a credit/debit card, so you can use the phone. Write out everyone’s phone number, with notes of when they will be home.

o       Remind people that they won’t be allowed to visit you in hospital.