What is radioiodine treatment?
Radioiodine-131 has been used in the treatment of thyroid disease for over fifty years. Since its first use before World War II, it has become the treatment of choice for patients with hyperthyroidism. Treatment of patients with this condition has been made more comfortable, safer, and less expensive by using radioiodine-131 instead of surgery or long-term antithyroid medications. Radioiodine-131 is also used in treating patients with thyroid cancer after surgery. This has decreased the recurrence of cancer in such patients.