Radioactive iodine treatment (RAI)RAI is a simple and effective treatment that can be utilized in many thyroid disorders. The purpose of RAI is to destroy the diseased thyroid completely. For this purpose, the patient is given radioactive iodine tablets. Since iodine is absorbed solely by the thyroid, the gland is exposed to very high dose of radiation and damaged. Since the iodine is not absorbed by other organs they are not harmed by the RAI.

 

RAI is one of the mostly preferred treatments in hyperthyroidism particularly in Graves disease. Since the hormone producing cells are destroyed by the radiation, hyperthyroidism may improve or heal. RAI is also a standard therapy after thyroid cancer surgery. In this case, the purpose of RAI is to destroy the cancer cells that might have remained within the thyroid gland or lymph nodes in the neck.

 

How is it done?

Before RAI, the patient must be fasting for 3 hours and on a low iodine diet for 3 weeks. The RAI is given orally with tablets. After RAI, the patient must spend  2-3 days in an isolated room and must be away from children and pregnant women for several weeks.

 

What are its advantages?

It is an effective treatment in Graves disease, toxic nodules and after surgery oh papillary/follicular cancer. It is cheap and easy. However it destroys also the normal thyroid tissue and may cause hypothyroidism. It also exposes the thyroid to a very high dose of radiation, which might be harmful, and requires isolation after the treatment.