LEUKAEMIA FOLLOWING RADIOIODINE TREATMENT OF THYROTOXICOSIS

Journal Article · Sat Nov 26 04:00:00 EST 1960 · Brit. Med. J.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.2.5212.1545· OSTI ID:4104242

Pochin, E E

Leukemia is known to have developed in 18 patients who had previously been treated with radioiodine for thyrotoxicosis, three cases having occurred in the United Kingdom, ten in the United States, four in Canada, and one in Austria. About 60,000 thyrotoxic patients have been treated with radioiodine in these four countries alone, with an estimated total of over 220,000 patient-years since treatment until mid-1960. Application of natural leukemia rates appropriate to the sex, age, and nation of these patients suggests that approximately 21 cases of leukemia would be expected to have occurred fortuitously among them whether radioiodine had been given or not. The numbers of patients treated in those countries in which cases of leukemia have not been observed would raise this total considerably. The intervals between radioiodine treatment and diagnosis of leukemia are consistent with a change distribution. Of the 17 cases in which the type of leukemia is known, l3 were diagnosed as acute, a proportion somewhat, but not strikingly, higher than that to bc expected on the basis of data for England and Wales on the frequency of acute leukemia in a normal population of corresponding age and sex. These estimates are held to indicate that the present known records of cases in which leukemia has followed radioiodine treatment of thyrotoxicosis gives no indication that this treatment is inducing leukemia. At the same time they clearly do not exclude this possibility, since the total number of cases of leukemia might greatly exceed the number at present known to have occurred. (auth)

• Research Organization: University Coll., London
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-15-008538
• OSTI ID: 4104242
• Journal Information: Brit. Med. J., Journal Name: Brit. Med. J. Vol. Vol: No. 5212
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
DISEASES
GLANDS
IODINE
LEUKEMIA
MAN
RADIOISOTOPES
THYROID