Thyroid cancer after diagnostic administration of iodine-131

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1996 · Radiation Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/3579200· OSTI ID:478303

Hall, P; Mattsson, A ^[1]; Boice, Jr, J D ^[2]

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1. Harolinska Hospital, Stockholm (Sweden)
2. National Cancer Inst., Bethesda, MD (United States)

To provide quantitative data on the risk of thyroid cancer after exposure to {sup 131}I, 34,104 patients administered {sup 131}I for diagnostic purposes were followed for up to 40 years. The mean thyroid dose was estimated as 1.1 Gy, and 67 thyroid cancers occurred in contrast to 49.7 expected (standardized incidence ratio = 1.35; 95% confidence interval 1.05-1.71). Excess cancers were apparent only among patients referred because of a suspected thyroid tumor, and no increased risk was seen among those referred for other reasons. Further, risk was not related to radiation dose to the thyroid gland, time since exposure or age at exposure. The slight excess of thyroid cancer thus appeared to be due to the underlying thyroid condition and not radiation exposure. Among those under age 20 years when {sup 131}I was administered, a small excess risk (3 cancers compared to 1.8 expected) was about 2-10 times lower than that predicted from data for the A-bomb survivors. These data suggest that protraction of dose may result in a lower risk than an acute X-ray exposure of the same total dose. 34 refs., 5 tabs.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 478303
• Journal Information: Radiation Research, Vol. 145, Issue 1; Other Information: PBD: Jan 1996
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
THYROID
NEOPLASMS
RISK ASSESSMENT
PATIENTS
DELAYED RADIATION EFFECTS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
RADIATION DOSES
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
CHRONIC IRRADIATION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ACUTE EXPOSURE
IODINE 131
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
A-BOMB SURVIVORS
LOW DOSE IRRADIATION