Radioactive iodine for thyroid cancer ‘ups risk of second primary malignancies’
Treatment choices need to factor in the greater susceptibility of younger patients to the carcinogenic effects of radiation, researchers say
Use of radioactive iodine in children and young adults with differentiated thyroid cancer significantly increases the risk of future haematologic and solid malignancies, research confirms.
Although the treatment is already linked to a greater risk of leukaemia 2-3 years post-exposure, the findings suggest the need for long-term surveillance of these patients, the US authors say.
