Radioiodine Treatment
What to expect from the planned radioiodine therapy at Homburg University Hospital?
Thyroid hormones are invaluable for the human organism. They influence, among other things, the energy metabolism, the gastrointestinal tract, the cardiovascular system and the mental state.
Too little thyroid hormone (Hypothyroidism) as well as too much thyroid hormone in blood (Hyperthyroidism) can lead to serious disorders of various bodily functions. Drug therapy is often able to alleviate the symptoms of this disease temporarily, but cannot eliminate the cause permanently. This can only be achieved with the radioiodine therapy or surgical removal of the affected thyroid gland parts. Both treatment methods can be classified as equivalent with regard to the success of the therapy.
Radioiodine therapy has been applied for over 75 years on tens of thousands of patients as an effective treatment method with minimal side effects. It is used to treat overactive areas of the thyroid gland in a targeted manner and to protect tissue that functions normally. A radioactive form of iodine is used, which is known to be an important component of food.
After the preparative examinations, which take 1-2 days, the radioactive iodine is administered as a single treatment dose in the form of one or more small capsules which are swallowed and absorbed via the bloodstream only by the overactive parts of the thyroid gland. The iodine that is not stored is almost completely excreted within 48 hours via the kidneys and intestines. The effective iodine stored in the thyroid gland loses its radioactivity in the following days due to turnover and physical decay.
In about 95 % of all cases, a single therapy can cure hyperthyroidism; an additional therapy is possible in a few untreated cases .
Another advantage of this elegant form of therapy is that it rarely leads to slight side effects such as a feeling of pressure in the neck area.
Only a small portion of the total radiation (gamma component) has a longer range and can be measured outside the body.
