SHORT-TERM HAZARDS OF LOW-DOSE RADIOIODINE ABLATION THERAPY IN POSTSURGICAL THYROID-CANCER PATIENTS

During the last two decades, there has been a trend to use low-dose I- 131 ablation therapy in patients with thyroid carcinoma without metast ases, However information regarding the incidence of acute adverse rea ctions in patients after low-dose radioiodine therapy has not been rep orted. In this study, the acute radiation effects after low-dose radio iodine ablation therapy in postsurgical differentiated thyroid cancer patients was evaluated. Fifty-six patients with differentiated thyroid cancer were prospectively evaluated, None of these patients had evide nce of a distant metastasis. AII patients received 40 mCi (1480 MBq) I -131 MIBG orally acid were evaluated for symptoms and signs by a physi cian on the second and seventh days after therapy, Xerostomia and naus ea were the most common complaints with the same incidence rate of 5.3 5%, Gastralgia occurred at a frequency of 3.57%, Pain in the thyroid b ed, tenderness over a parotid gland, submandibular glands, change in t aste, and vomiting ail were found at a frequency of 1.78%. Maximum rea ctions generally occurred 24-48 hours after therapy, All the symptoms except for xerostomia resolved completely in most patients within a we ek, In comparison with high-dose ablation therapy published in the lit erature, the incidence of radiation reactions in low-dose radioiodine therapy was much lower, It was concluded that in patients without lymp h node or distant metastases, low-dose I-131 MIBG therapy may be recom mended to avoid the high incidence of local complications after high-d ose treatment.