The effect of I-131 ablation treatment on complete blood count in thyroid cancer patients

Radioactive iodine-131 (RAI) treatment may cause suppression in the bone marrow. In this study, hemoglobin levels, leukocyte, thrombocyte and lymphocyte counts will be compared before total thyroidectomy and 6 months after RAI treatment. 97 patients (76 females, 21 males) with a diagnosis of well-differentiated thyroid cancer who had undergone total thyroidectomy and received 50-200 mCi RAI treatment were included in the study. Hemoglobin levels, leukocyte, thrombocyte and lymphocyte counts of the patients in the preoperative period and in the sixth month after the RAİ treatment were compared retrospectively. Hemoglobin levels in preoperative period and after RAI treatment were found as 12.90±1.72 and 12.65±1.66 g/dL (p=0.044), leukocyte count 8.38±2.49x103 and 6.94±1.89x103/µL (p<0.001), platelet count 302.78±87.39x103and 269.15±67.75x103/µL (p<0.001), lymphocyte count 2.36±0.83x103and 1.87±0.64x103/µL (p<0.001), respectively. When all patients were examined, there was a significant decrease in all parameters. While hemoglobin levels (12.36±1.39 and 12.16±1.35 g/dL, p=0.131) of female patients were similar before and after treatment, lymphocyte (2.33±0.84x103 and 1.84±0.64x103/µL, p<0.001), platelet (314.54±87.92x103 and 277.58±65.81x103/µL, p<0.001) and leukocyte counts (8.45±2.54x103 and 6.78±1,89x103/µL, p<0.001) were decreased. Hemoglobin levels (14.82±1.40 and 14.41±1.49g/dL, p=0.10) and leukocyte (8.11±2.32x103 and 7.53±1.81x103/µL, p=0.296) and platelet (260.23±72.40x103 and 238.67±67.40x103/µL, p=0.06) counts were similar before and after treatment, while lymphocyte (2.50±0.83x103 and 2.00±0.63x103/µL, p=0.029) counts were decreased significantly. In thyroid cancer patients who received 50-200 mCi RAI treatment after total thyroidectomy, a decrease in hemoglobin level and leukocyte, thrombocyte and lymphocyte counts were observed in 6 months after RAI tretament. When this decrease is evaluated separately according to the gender, it may show differences.