The effects of radioactive iodine treatment on bone marrow in differentiated thyroid carcinoma and secondary cancer development

Thyroid cancers are the most common cancer among endocrine malignancies and the second most common cancer in women. The majority of thyroid cancers are differentiated thyroid cancers (DTK). Increasing incidence and good prognosis of thyroid cancer have led to concern about the development of second malignancy, especially after radioiodine treatment. Our aim in this study is; The effects of RAI treatment on bone marrow over time and the development of secondary cancer are examined. The study was carried out retrospectively from 259 patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer between January 2000 and December 2012 at the Ankara Hospital of Başkent University, Ankara, Turkey. The changes in whole blood parameters, TSH and thyroglobulin values of patients were examined over time before and after RAI treatment in 5 years. In addition, patients were investigated for the development of secondary cancer. The mean RAI administered to the patient was found to be 118 mCi. Patients had bone marrow suppression in short-term follow-up from RAI treatment, but this suppression was observed to return to normal in long-term follow-up. In patients' follow-up, the development of secondary cancer was not detected. It is accepted as a high dose of 100 mCi in the treatment of RAI, and in some studies, the presence of secondary cancer after RAI is mentioned. It should be kept in mind that in these studies, the presence of secondary cancer is not definitive, and that developing cancers may be due to genetic susceptibility, environmental factors. In the absence of secondary cancer development in Turkey linked to given RAI treatment, it is thought that RAI can be used safely in our country.