In the case of thyroid and thyroid cancer patients, the thyroid function examination and treatment often requires the use of radioiodine for some of the necessary tests and treatments, such as iodization and Iodine-131 whole body scans. Many patients would be concerned about the radiation implications of such tests and treatments, and the article would give an account of the radiation doses and their effects on the body.
What’s the iodization rate?
Iodine intake is an examination to assess the thyroid function and is used to measure the absorption capacity of the thyroid to iodine. Patients are usually required to take an oral dose of radioiodine-131 and then measure the percentage of thyroid absorption of radioiodine at a given point in time to understand the thyroid function. Such examinations are often used in the development of diagnostic and therapeutic programmes for apogee.
What’s an iodine-131 body scan?
For thyroid cancer patients, an iodine-131 whole body scan is usually required after surgical thyroid removal to detect any residual thyroid tissue or cancer cell transfer in the body. This examination also requires a small amount of radio-iodine-131 oral for the patient, followed by a full body imaging through a special scanning device in order to find out if there are any residuals in the body.
Is the radiation of radioiodine high on the body?
Patients usually care about the radiation effects of radioiodine on the body when carrying out Iodine Rate Measurements or Iodine-131 body scans. In fact, the radiation doses involved in these tests are very low and are medically safe to control. We answer this question in terms of both the specific dose and the physical effects.
1. Radiation doses measured at iodine intake rates
Iodine intake measures generally use low doses of Iodine-131. The dose is very low, usually within the tens of μCi. The dose of radiation in such tests is well below a regular X-ray examination and much below the dose of iodine-131 used in treatment, and thus has an effect on human health of almost zero.
2. Iodine-131-scanning radiation doses
In the whole body scan of iodine-131 for thyroid cancer, the dose used was slightly higher than measured at iodine intake rates, but remained low, usually between 1 and 5 mCi. This dose is sufficient to show thyroid tissue and transfer of cancer cells, but the radiation effects on normal tissue are very limited.
In order to give a better understanding, this dose is equivalent to the natural environment radiation received in daily life and less than one chest X-ray examination. In other words, the risk to the body of these radiations is very small, and Iodine-131 full body scans provide very important information to guide follow-up treatment.
The short safety half-life of radioiodine: the half-life of iodine-131 is eight days, which means that its activity in the body will be halved within eight days and, over time, it will gradually decrease and be released. Local absorption: Iodine-131 is mainly absorbed in the body by thyroid tissue, while the rest of the radioiodine is excreted through urine, so radiation from other organs is very limited. Strict control of hospitals: All radiation checks and treatments are conducted under strict hospital management and guidance to ensure the safety of patients and the surrounding population. What do patients need attention for?
Although the radiation doses in these tests are low, the following should be noted by the patient within days of the examination:
Drink more water: help bodies to release residual radioactive material more quickly. Avoiding long-term intimacy: especially for pregnant women and children, a distance should be kept as far as possible to further reduce the effects of radiation. Summary
Patients with thyroid and thyroid cancer take very low doses of radioiodine when receiving iodization and Iodine-131 full body scans, and their radiation effects on the body are medically safe and manageable. While these inspections involve radioactive substances, they result in much lower levels of radiation than the regular therapeutic dose and can provide important information for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Thus, patients need not be too worried, but appropriate protective measures should still be taken, as recommended by doctors.
It is hoped that this article will contribute to a better understanding of the radiation effects of radioiodine in thyroid functional examinations. If you have any other problems or concerns, consult a doctor at any time in order to obtain more professional advice.
Armour
