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Radioiodine and thyroid disease: the beginning
1Department of Radiology, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, New York 10021, USA.
Seminars in Nuclear Medicine
|July 1, 1996
Summary
Early radioiodine research demonstrated selective thyroid uptake, leading to treatments for hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer. Fission-derived radioiodine availability revolutionized these therapeutic applications.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear medicine
- Endocrinology
- Medical physics
Background:
- Initial research in 1936 by MIT and MGH explored radioiodine for thyroid disease.
- Early studies used short-lived iodine-128, necessitating development of longer-lasting isotopes like iodine-130 and iodine-131.
Observation:
- Radioiodine was found to be selectively and avidly taken up by the thyroid gland in both animal and human studies.
- Cyclotron-produced iodine-130 and iodine-131 were developed by MGH-MIT and Berkeley groups.
Findings:
- The MGH-MIT and Berkeley groups successfully used radioiodine (iodine-130 and iodine-131) to treat hyperthyroidism starting in 1941-1942.
- Post-WWII, the widespread availability of fission-derived radioiodine enabled treatment for numerous hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer patients.
Implications:
- Radioiodine therapy became a reality, establishing a new physiological treatment modality.
- The availability of radioiodine significantly impacted the management of thyroid disorders, including hyperthyroidism and cancer.