Does Radioactive Iodine Therapy for Hyperthyroidism Cause Cancer?

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Does Radioactive Iodine Therapy for Hyperthyroidism Cause Cancer? Via radioactive iodine J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Sep 23:dgab700. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgab700. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Radioactive iodine has been considered a safe and effective therapeutic option for hyperthyroidism secondary to Graves' disease and autonomously functioning thyroid nodules since the mid-20th century. The question of whether I-131 at the doses used for hyperthyroidism might increase the risk of cancer has been investigated in a number of observational cohort studies over the y ears, with the preponderance of evidence being reassuring as to its safety. In particular, the 1998 Cooperative Thyrotoxicosis Therapy Follow-up Study (CTTFUS) has been widely cited as compelling evidence that I-131 is safe in hyperthyroidism therapy with respect to carcinogenesis. However, in 2019, a study by Kitahara and colleagues re-analyzed the CTTFUS cohort, extending the follow-up time and applying a novel dosimetric model for estimating tissue absorbed doses of radiation. This new analysis concluded that radioactive iodine was associated with an increased risk for mortality from overall cancer, breast cancer, and non-breast solid cancers. Reaction to this study was vociferous and particularly negative in the nuclear medicine literature. This mini-review was inspired by the 2019 CTTFUS controversy, and is intended to provide the necessary context for clinicians to provide nuanced advice to their patients on the subject. To that end, the pre-2019 literature is surveyed, the 20 19 CTTFUS study and a 2020 follow-up are discussed, and lessons from the literature and critical commentaries are considered. PMID:34555150 | DOI:10.1210/clinem/dgab700 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.