Induction of Leukaemia by ¹³¹I Treatment of Thyroid Carcinoma

Abstract

The records of 194 patients with thyroid carcinoma treated with ¹³¹I, representing all cases thus treated in Denmark from 1948 to 1972, were reviewed. Two cases of myeloid leukaemia were found compared with 0·097 expected cases of non-lymphocytic leukaemia (0·05 > P > 0·01). In 5 series of ¹³¹I treated thyroid carcinomata, 10 cases of myeloid leukaemia occurred in a total of 487 patients, corresponding to a frequency of leukaemia of about 2%. These findings appear to show that ¹³¹I treatment of thyroid carcinoma is associated with a certain risk of development of leukaemia. This risk must be considered when treatment of localized thyroid carcinoma is planned.