Abstract

Radioactive iodine therapy is non-invasive, well established and effective treatment for hyperthyroidism. However, there are concerns about its potential to cause thyroid cancer when used for benign thyroid diseases. While studies show mixed results, our observations indicate that the risk of cancer after RAI therapy for benign conditions is very low, given that pre-therapy nodules have been confirmed as benign either through sonographic examination or fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). This perspective is grounded because the iodine dose used for benign thyroid diseases is low and causes cell death rather than cancer.

Key words: Benign thyroid disorders, Radioactive iodine therapy, Thyroid CA risk, sonographic and cytological evaluation.