Aa
FYI RAI
Origin of Nuclear Medicine dates more than 100 years ago.
Nuclear medicine has a rich and multifaceted heritage. Its origins stem from many scientific discoveries, most notably the discovery of x-rays in 1895 and the discovery of "artificial radioactivity" in 1934. The first clinical use of "artificial radioactivity" was carried out in 1937 for the treatment of a patient with leukemia at the University of California at Berkeley.
A landmark event for nuclear medicine occurred in 1946 when a thyroid cancer patient's treatment with radioactive iodine caused complete disappearance of the spread of the patient's cancer. This has been considered by some as the true beginning of nuclear medicine. Wide-spread clinical use of nuclear medicine, however, did not take place until the early 1950s.
Historical Timeline
1946 Allen Reid and Albert Keston discovered iodine-125, which became important in the field of radioimmunoassay.
1946 Samuel M. Seidlin, Leo D. Marinelli and Eleanor Oshry treated a patient with thyroid cancer with iodine-131.
1947 Benedict Cassen used radioiodine to determine whether a thyroid nodule accumulates iodine, helping to differentiate benign from malignant nodules.
1948 Abbott Laboratories began distribution of radioistopes.
1950 K.R. Crispell and John P. Storaasli used iodine-131 labeled human serum albumin (RISA) for imaging the blood pool within the heart
1951 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved sodium iodide 1-131 for use with thyroid patients. It was the first FDA-
approved radiopharmaceutical.
1971 The American Medical Association officially recognized nuclear medicine as a medical speciality
Iodine (chemical symbol I ) is a nonmetallic solid element. There are both radioactive and non-radioactive isotopes of iodine. Iodine-129 and -131 are the most important radioactive isotopes in the environment. Some isotopes of iodine, such as I-123 and I-124 are used in medical imaging and treatment, but are generally not a problem in the environment because they have very short half-lives.
In 1811, Bernard Courtois discovered natural iodine in water that was used to dissolve certain parts of seaweed ash for use. Radioactive iodine-131 was discovered by
Glenn T. Seaborg and John Livingood at the University of California - Berkeley in the late 1930's.
Radioactive iodines have the same physical properties as stable iodine.
However, radioactive iodines decay with time. Iodine-131 has a half-life of about 8 days.
Radioactive iodine (commonly called radioiodine) is a form of iodine chemically identical to nonradioactive iodine.
Therefore, the thyroid gland, which takes up iodine to make thyroid hormone, cannot distinguish between the two.
Iodines are among the most widely used radionuclides, mostly in the medical field. Because of its short half-life and useful beta emission, iodine-131 is used extensively in nuclear medicine. Doctors may give thyroid patients radioactive iodine, usually iodine-131, to treat or help diagnose certain thyroid problems. The tendency of iodine to collect in the thyroid makes it very useful for highlighting parts of its structure in diagnostic images. I-131 is ingested, some of it concentrates in the thyroid gland. The rest passes from the body in urine. In the body, iodine has a biological half-life of about 100 days for the body as a whole. It has different biological half-lives for various organs: thyroid - 100 days, bone - 14 days, and kidney, spleen, and reproductive organs - 7 days.
Iodines are among the most widely used radionuclides, mostly in the medical field. Because of its short half-life and useful beta emission, iodine-131 is used extensively in nuclear medicine. Doctors may give thyroid patients radioactive iodine, usually iodine-131, to treat or help diagnose certain thyroid problems. The tendency of iodine to collect in the thyroid makes it very useful for highlighting parts of its structure in diagnostic images. I-131 is ingested, some of it concentrates in the thyroid gland. The rest passes from the body in urine. In the body, iodine has a biological half-life of about 100 days for the body as a whole. It has different biological half-lives for various organs: thyroid - 100 days, bone - 14 days, and kidney, spleen, and reproductive organs - 7 days.
Radioactive iodine (RAI) is often chosen for treatment of hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) because of its simplicity: it is given in a single dose. Another plus for RAI is its lack of side effects. RAI treatment is based on the fact that the thyroid actively accumulates iodine, which it uses to produce thyroid hormones required for normal body function. RAI is like the iodine found in foods such as fish, seaweed, and iodized salt, except that it releases an electron, or beta particle, which creates its therapeutic action
Nuclear medicine has a rich and multifaceted heritage. Its origins stem from many scientific discoveries, most notably the discovery of x-rays in 1895 and the discovery of "artificial radioactivity" in 1934. The first clinical use of "artificial radioactivity" was carried out in 1937 for the treatment of a patient with leukemia at the University of California at Berkeley.
A landmark event for nuclear medicine occurred in 1946 when a thyroid cancer patient's treatment with radioactive iodine caused complete disappearance of the spread of the patient's cancer. This has been considered by some as the true beginning of nuclear medicine. Wide-spread clinical use of nuclear medicine, however, did not take place until the early 1950s.
Historical Timeline
1946 Allen Reid and Albert Keston discovered iodine-125, which became important in the field of radioimmunoassay.
1946 Samuel M. Seidlin, Leo D. Marinelli and Eleanor Oshry treated a patient with thyroid cancer with iodine-131.
1947 Benedict Cassen used radioiodine to determine whether a thyroid nodule accumulates iodine, helping to differentiate benign from malignant nodules.
1948 Abbott Laboratories began distribution of radioistopes.
1950 K.R. Crispell and John P. Storaasli used iodine-131 labeled human serum albumin (RISA) for imaging the blood pool within the heart
1951 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved sodium iodide 1-131 for use with thyroid patients. It was the first FDA-
approved radiopharmaceutical.
1971 The American Medical Association officially recognized nuclear medicine as a medical speciality
Iodine (chemical symbol I ) is a nonmetallic solid element. There are both radioactive and non-radioactive isotopes of iodine. Iodine-129 and -131 are the most important radioactive isotopes in the environment. Some isotopes of iodine, such as I-123 and I-124 are used in medical imaging and treatment, but are generally not a problem in the environment because they have very short half-lives.
In 1811, Bernard Courtois discovered natural iodine in water that was used to dissolve certain parts of seaweed ash for use. Radioactive iodine-131 was discovered by
Glenn T. Seaborg and John Livingood at the University of California - Berkeley in the late 1930's.
Radioactive iodines have the same physical properties as stable iodine.
However, radioactive iodines decay with time. Iodine-131 has a half-life of about 8 days.
Radioactive iodine (commonly called radioiodine) is a form of iodine chemically identical to nonradioactive iodine.
Therefore, the thyroid gland, which takes up iodine to make thyroid hormone, cannot distinguish between the two.
Iodines are among the most widely used radionuclides, mostly in the medical field. Because of its short half-life and useful beta emission, iodine-131 is used extensively in nuclear medicine. Doctors may give thyroid patients radioactive iodine, usually iodine-131, to treat or help diagnose certain thyroid problems. The tendency of iodine to collect in the thyroid makes it very useful for highlighting parts of its structure in diagnostic images. I-131 is ingested, some of it concentrates in the thyroid gland. The rest passes from the body in urine. In the body, iodine has a biological half-life of about 100 days for the body as a whole. It has different biological half-lives for various organs: thyroid - 100 days, bone - 14 days, and kidney, spleen, and reproductive organs - 7 days.
Iodines are among the most widely used radionuclides, mostly in the medical field. Because of its short half-life and useful beta emission, iodine-131 is used extensively in nuclear medicine. Doctors may give thyroid patients radioactive iodine, usually iodine-131, to treat or help diagnose certain thyroid problems. The tendency of iodine to collect in the thyroid makes it very useful for highlighting parts of its structure in diagnostic images. I-131 is ingested, some of it concentrates in the thyroid gland. The rest passes from the body in urine. In the body, iodine has a biological half-life of about 100 days for the body as a whole. It has different biological half-lives for various organs: thyroid - 100 days, bone - 14 days, and kidney, spleen, and reproductive organs - 7 days.
Radioactive iodine (RAI) is often chosen for treatment of hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) because of its simplicity: it is given in a single dose. Another plus for RAI is its lack of side effects. RAI treatment is based on the fact that the thyroid actively accumulates iodine, which it uses to produce thyroid hormones required for normal body function. RAI is like the iodine found in foods such as fish, seaweed, and iodized salt, except that it releases an electron, or beta particle, which creates its therapeutic action
National Graves' Disease Foundation - a must read regarding RAI
bb.ngdf.org/Messages/0397/78397.htm
JAMA - jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/280/4/347 - read full article
More than 1 year after treatment, an increased risk of cancer mortality was seen among patients treated exclusively with antithyroid drugs . Radioactive iodine was not linked to total cancer deaths, or to any specific cancer.......
Conclusions.—Neither hyperthyroidism nor 131I treatment resulted in a significantly increased risk of total cancer mortality. While there was an elevated risk of thyroid cancer mortality following 131I treatment, in absolute terms the excess number of deaths was small, and the underlying thyroid disease appeared to play a role. Overall, 131I appears to be a safe therapy for hyperthyroidism.
bb.ngdf.org/Messages/0397/78397.htm
JAMA - jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/280/4/347 - read full article
More than 1 year after treatment, an increased risk of cancer mortality was seen among patients treated exclusively with antithyroid drugs . Radioactive iodine was not linked to total cancer deaths, or to any specific cancer.......
Conclusions.—Neither hyperthyroidism nor 131I treatment resulted in a significantly increased risk of total cancer mortality. While there was an elevated risk of thyroid cancer mortality following 131I treatment, in absolute terms the excess number of deaths was small, and the underlying thyroid disease appeared to play a role. Overall, 131I appears to be a safe therapy for hyperthyroidism.
I responded really emotionally to this post initially as I am less than two weeks post RAI and am still on precautions in regards to my kids, so I'm a little touchy. Truthfully,my cancer was fairly extensive. The doctors found cancer in tissue under my jaw all the way down to the aortic arch. I believe RAI was the best option, and really I'm grateful that there is such a standardized treatment that has been used for such a long time to effectively treat this disease. My former mother in law was recently dx with ovarian cancer and is getting ready to undergo chemo which they tell her at this point has a 5-12 year survival rate. Now everyone is keeping in mind that they will come up with more ways to fight cancer in 5 years but I haven't had anyone put a number on the years I have left yet. For that I am profoundly grateful.
I will say this though. Some of the risks mentioned in the original post, I WAS told about and elected to undergo this procedure. I see a lot of people on this forum are being given their RAI from an endo, whether they are getting it for cancer or graves or some other reason. I'm being treated by a radiation oncologist. I felt like I was really well informed as to the risks and the precautions I have to take. They had me sit down with two nuclear physicists before RAI to go over all of these things. I haven't hugged my kids in 12 days because they had me come in and checked me with the geiger counter after the first week and told me that I was emitting enough radiation as to be dangerous to them. Hopefully when they recheck me this week they will lift those restricitions. So I feel really well informed and watched out for.
I can't speak to being treated with RAI for graves but I do think that getting RAI was the best option for me.
Oops I just saw the other post on this same topic so I'll copy this over there.
I will say this though. Some of the risks mentioned in the original post, I WAS told about and elected to undergo this procedure. I see a lot of people on this forum are being given their RAI from an endo, whether they are getting it for cancer or graves or some other reason. I'm being treated by a radiation oncologist. I felt like I was really well informed as to the risks and the precautions I have to take. They had me sit down with two nuclear physicists before RAI to go over all of these things. I haven't hugged my kids in 12 days because they had me come in and checked me with the geiger counter after the first week and told me that I was emitting enough radiation as to be dangerous to them. Hopefully when they recheck me this week they will lift those restricitions. So I feel really well informed and watched out for.
I can't speak to being treated with RAI for graves but I do think that getting RAI was the best option for me.
Oops I just saw the other post on this same topic so I'll copy this over there.
The only way is another RAI or surgery.
I thought that I had Marine-Lenhart Syndrome, a hyperfunctioning nodule, which appears after RAI treatment in Graves' Disease. My TSH and FT-4
independently swings in and out of Labs range to the hyper side.
Another possibility, Plummer's disease, characterized by marked enlargement of the thyroid gland (goitre), firm thyroid nodules, and mild overproduction of thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism). Symptoms resemble those of Graves' disease. Treatment consist of Radioactive iodine, surgery, or antithyroid drugs (propylthiouracil, methimazole) are the treatments used for toxic nodular goiter. Beta-blockers, such as propranolol, can control some of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism until thyroid hormone levels in the body are under control.
I have a few days out of each and every month that I feel very uncontrollably hyper. This is probably when my level are out of Labs hyper range.
I am still trying to figure it all out. Even suspected Hashi. Predominate Graves' as Hashi secondary.
I thought that I had Marine-Lenhart Syndrome, a hyperfunctioning nodule, which appears after RAI treatment in Graves' Disease. My TSH and FT-4
independently swings in and out of Labs range to the hyper side.
Another possibility, Plummer's disease, characterized by marked enlargement of the thyroid gland (goitre), firm thyroid nodules, and mild overproduction of thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism). Symptoms resemble those of Graves' disease. Treatment consist of Radioactive iodine, surgery, or antithyroid drugs (propylthiouracil, methimazole) are the treatments used for toxic nodular goiter. Beta-blockers, such as propranolol, can control some of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism until thyroid hormone levels in the body are under control.
I have a few days out of each and every month that I feel very uncontrollably hyper. This is probably when my level are out of Labs hyper range.
I am still trying to figure it all out. Even suspected Hashi. Predominate Graves' as Hashi secondary.
The nodule is hyperfunctioning according to my understanding of what the doctor said. He said it is still producing hormone and dumps it into my system when it wants to. You may be right about the doseage. He did mention to me before he did it that some people take two treatments. I don't know if my thyroid is damaged. He didn't address that. I thought he said it was functioning ok but the nodules were not supposed to function but they are. I will have a blood test in a couple weeks and should know more then. In the meantime I am sure learning from this forum. You can't ask questions if you don't know anything to ask. When he was instructing me about my options before the RAI I didn't have a clue what to do so I chose the RAI. Am I glad I did? I don't know yet. Do you know if they can stop the nodule from producing hormone or control it. The doctor said they couldn't control it. I read somewhere on this forum that the doctor could control it. I think that it why I have a series of days I feel good and then boom I don't feel good for a day or two. What do you think? Thanks for all you help Linda
Is you nodule hyperfunctioning and/or giving you problems.
Perhaps you were not given a high enough RAI dose. Some nodules might require 2 RAI treatments.
If the thyroid is damaged too much, nodules won't disappear, but they won't normally be a problem either.
Perhaps you were not given a high enough RAI dose. Some nodules might require 2 RAI treatments.
If the thyroid is damaged too much, nodules won't disappear, but they won't normally be a problem either.
A lot of folks who have had RAI and then have "symptoms" associate them with the RAI. This is referred to as anecdotal data. When you look at large groups of people and analyze the data using statistical methods, you usually find that anecdotal relationships do not hold up. That is why it is best to search the peer-reviewed literature for valid studies, rather than pulling together information based on "schlock" science. Unfortunately, much of the peer-reviewed literature is a bit difficult for the lay person to interpret. I did a fairly brief search of the peer-reviewed literature (which anyone can do on PubMed) and based on the information that I pulled up I believe that RAI treatment is very safe. Actually, much safer than leaving the thyroid untreated.
So, thank you for a rational discussion.
So, thank you for a rational discussion.
where in the world did all that stuff come from in the other post. Thank you for this information. As long as it does its job I'm ok with it. I don't know why it didn't kill my nodules so they wouldn't produce hormone. Do you know anything about that. As I have said in other posts I am not unhappy with my treatment just at the times I don't understand. Thanks for your invaluable information. linda
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