Radioiodine therapy does not impair fertility
in men with thyroid carcinoma
(November 2002)
The background of
the study. Some men with thyroid carcinoma have transient
decreases in sperm counts after radioiodine (I-131) therapy, but
the effect of treatment on long-term fertility is not known. In
this study, the fertility of men with papillary or follicular thyroid
carcinoma treated with varying doses of radioiodine was determined.
How the study was done. The study
subjects were 122 men with thyroid carcinoma who were less than
40 years old when treated between 1949 and 1997; older men were
not studied because most had completed their families. All the men
were treated surgically; 78 men then received 81 mCi (3 GBq) of
radioiodine to destroy remaining normal thyroid tissue, and 44 men
received 230 to 1280 mCi (8.5 to 47.3 GBq) I-131 to treat persistent
or recurrent cancer. The men were asked at follow-up visits or by
mail questionnaire if they had all the children they wished to have,
and if they had not had children, whether this was by choice.
The results of the study. Among
the 122 men, 29 had died or were lost to follow-up (median follow-up,
21 years. Among the remaining 93 men, 34 (37 percent) had not wished
to have children. The remaining 59 men (63 percent) had fathered
106 children 3.5 to 18 years after radioiodine therapy. Twelve men
who received a single 81 mCi (3 GBq) dose of radioiodine had fathered
20 children, 19 men who received >81 to <380 mCi (3 to 14
GBq) had fathered 36 children, and 28 men who received 380 to 1190
mCi (14 to 44 GBq) had fathered 50 children. None of the children
had any major malformation.
The conclusions of the study. Radioiodine
therapy does not reduce fertility in men with thyroid carcinoma.
The original article. Hyer S, Vini
L, O'Connell M, Pratt B, Harmer C. Testicular dose and fertility
in men following I131therapy for thyroid cancer. Clin
Endocrinol 2002;56:755-8.
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