I have only had half my thyroid removed and the pathology report showed cancer. Do I need to have a second operation or can radioactive iodine be used in my situation?
The answer to this question is a matter of some debate. If the pathology report shows a large tumor, with aggressive features such as lymph node involvement, most physicians would strongly recommend completion thyroidectomy and removal of the remaining thyroid lobe. On the other hand, if the pathology shows a small well differentiated thyroid cancer, there is some evidence that low dose outpatient radioactive iodine can be used to ablate the remaining thyroid lobe, as outlined in Radioactive iodine lobe ablation as an alternative to completion thyroidectomy for follicular carcinoma of the thyroid. Thyroid. 2002 Nov;12(11):989-96.
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