I-131 Radiation-Induced Myelosuppression in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Therapy

Radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer has been used in clinical practice for almost 60 years and is generally accepted to be a safe and efficacious treatment. Severe toxicity in the form of radiation pneumonitis, sometimes progressing to fibrosis, and bone marrow suppression are reported but remain rare. We present a case of severe myelosuppression requiring hospitalization and transfusion support in an otherwise well, young female patient who had received 175 mCi I-131 for low-volume micronodular lung disease one month prior, with a cumulative lifetime administered activity of 575 mCi. The most important risk factors for myelosuppression following RAI are the activity received, the amount of functioning thyroid tissue present, and the lifetime cumulative activity received.