This is a treatment specific for thyroid cancer (papillary or follicular).

A special room will be prepared for your stay. 

You may have someone accompany you to the hospital.  They can stay with you through the radiologist consult.  They must leave prior to start of the treatment. 

You are allowed no visitors during the remainder of your hospital stay.  A radiologist, approved to perform radioactive iodine treatments, will explain the entire process to you prior to the treatment.  When you are ready to be discharged, written guidelines will be provided to you.

You will need to return to the hospital for whole body images, usually 7 – 10 days from the start of your treatment.   You will be given written instructions for this appointment at discharge time.
 
If you have any technical questions specific to this procedure, please don’t hesitate to ask the technologist at dosing time.  All clinical questions should be directed to the treating radiologist or your ordering physician.

A report will be sent to your ordering physician.

In most cases, you will need to be admitted to the hospital under strict radiation isolation conditions. You will be an in-patient for about 1 – 3 days.

A radiologist will discuss possible complications or side effects with you prior to your treatment.

Studies of the health effects of radiation have shown that high doses of radiation can cause cancer.  However, this hospital procedure requires that we inject you with a very low level of radioactive material. 

The risk from lower doses of radiation, such as you will receive during this exam, is uncertain.  Most scientists believe that the risk is very small.  Certainly, the benefits received from the exam far outweigh the small risk associated with this procedure