How successful is radiation treatment for the thyroid?

For RAI therapy to be most effective, patients must have high levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH or thyrotropin) in the blood. This substance stimulates thyroid tissue (and cancer cells) to take up radioactive iodine. read more

There are two reasons radiation is used for thyroid disease - 1. Hyperthyroidism - The thyroid takes up most of the iodine we ingest, so if radioactive iodine is given, it will be concentrated in the thyroid gland. read more

Radioactive iodine therapy cannot be used to treat anaplastic (undifferentiated) and medullary thyroid carcinomas because these types of cancer do not take up iodine. For RAI therapy to be most effective, patients must have high levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH or thyrotropin) in the blood. read more

Radioactive iodine treats hyperthyroidism by gradually shrinking your thyroid—ultimately destroying the gland. This therapy is much safer than it sounds; in fact, it is the most commonly used hyperthyroid treatment in the US. Unlike antithyroid medications, radioactive iodine is a permanent and more reliable cure for hyperthyroidism. read more