Radioactive iodine treatment for thyroid
Radioactive? Is that safe for my health? The thyroid gland is located in the central area of the neck and its function is to synthesize hormones that regulate body metabolism, these being essential for life. The radioactive iodine (I-131) is an isotope of iodine that emits radiation and is used for medical purposes to treat hyperthyroidism, which is the excessive activity of the thyroid gland.
Radioactive iodine therapy
Radioactive iodine is a treatment of Nuclear medicine to treat over-activity of the thyroid gland, a condition called either caused by so-called Graves-Basedow disease, in which the entire thyroid gland works excessively, or by the existence of nodules within the gland that are produced locally an excessive amount of thyroid hormone. Radioactive iodine can also be used in the treatment of thyroid cancer.
(Updated at Apr 14 / 2024)