RAI Treatment

[Rex0718]

I had been diagnose last May of a papillary carcinoma on my right lobe thyroid. biopsy resulted that it is a non toxic but a surgery has been adviced. so I underwent for a thyroid operation, extracting the whole thyroid as adviced. Now my endocrinologist is telling me to undergo RAI treatment, Question is, is RAI traetment really needed for my case eventhough I dont have existing thyroid?

[MANmom]

The problem is that you may not think you have a thyroid, but when they take the thyroid out, small bits and pieces are inevitably left behind.  The surgeons have to "peel" your thyroid away from your recurrent vocal nerves, and also have to look for the parathyroids to preserve them.  It is a bloody operation, the thyroid is very vascular, so sometimes microbits of tissue get away.  That is why they give you RAI, so that they can kill off the little bits that got away.  If your tumors were big, i.e., over 1.5 cm, you are in the category of RAI for sure, sometimes when the tumors are smaller than that the doctors will just wait for your thyroglobulin levels to change, that would indicate a recurrence. In my case, the surgeon purposefully left a thin film of tissue around my vocal nerves, since my tumors were found in the thyroid tissue, I don't want any left behind.  I am a singer and a voice teacher so I depend on having a voice for my living.  So, the only gland in the body that uses iodine is your thyroid, if you have cancer of the thyroid tissue, RAI will be sucked up by only the remaining thyroid tissue and killed off, then they will give you a full body scan afterwards to make sure they did not miss any.  I am currently about 5 days away from RAI 131 ablation, only when I get my body scan will I really relax and consider myself cured.

[MyBestAlways]

My thanks also for the information, I'm at this particular crossroads at the moment and not sure which path to take.  This information is very helpful.

I hope this finds you well

[Rex0718]

Thank you for the information and it really help a lot. Much oblige!

[jah277]

I also have papillary thyroid cancer.  I was diagnosed in June and had a total thyroidectomy July 1st,2009.  My RAI treatment is set up for the week of August 10th.  From the beginning of my diagnosis my surgeon stressed that it was basically a 2 step process.  First was surgery then 6 - 8 weeks later RAI.  I am seeing an endocrinologist now and he said I was kind of in a gray area and he asked me what I wanted to do.  I felt strongly that RAI was the way to go.  I also work in an oncology practice and even though I am not under the care of an oncologist I have spoken with a couple of the doctors and nurses there and they all recommended RAI,if it was offered to me.  I look at it as a bit of insurance.  Even though you have had your thyroid removed, there is some thyroid tissue left in place that the surgeon does not or is not able to take.  The RAI will kill any remaining thyroid tissue that was left behind.  Hope this helps.  I have become a bit of a thyroid cancer nerd since my diagnosis.  I am 32 with 2 small children and I want to do all within my power to give myself the best chance against recurrent disease.