I’ve been hearing all along that, once my thyroid is removed surgically, I’ll probably need to follow up with a single radioactive-iodine treatment. This is a dollop of radioactive material encased in a small pill, that I would swallow several weeks after surgery. Because thyroid tissue thirstily slurps up iodine, if it should happen that there’s any thyroid tissue remaining in my body after the surgery, the radioactive iodine would zap it.
Now, it turns out the radioactive iodine is risky in itself, and is possibly the cause of some secondary cancers. Recent studies indicate that a more nuanced treatment decision now needs to be made, weighing the likelihood that there is indeed any remaining malignant thyroid tissue against the slight – but real – risk of the radioactive iodine running amok and causing another cancer elsewhere.The American Thyroid Association is now saying that radioactive iodine “should be used selectively and [only] in patients with intermediate and high-risk thyroid tumors.”
So, with a nodule presently at 1.5 centimeters, how’s my tumor classified? I didn’t ask Dr. Boyle about precise staging, so I can’t be sure.
That’s one thing I’ll need to remember to ask the doctor about, as the time of surgery draws near.
In the meantime, it’s Holy Week, and I’ve got a whole lot of other things on my mind. Sermons to write!
