Reduction of Salivary Gland Damage During Radioiodine Therapy for Differentiated Thyroid Cancers

Excerpt

Radioiodine therapy is one of the major therapeutic modalities in the management of differentiated thyroid cancers (DTCs), and it has been successfully applied in the clinical setting for eight decades. The uptake of radioiodine in DTCs relies on the expression of sodium iodide symporter (NIS), and accumulation of radioiodine induces lethal radiation harm to the lesions through the emission of beta rays [1, 2]. Salivary glands also express NIS; therefore, they naturally take up radioiodine. Because of the underlying nature of the salivary glands, there is a high prevalence of radioiodine-induced dysfunction followed by damage to the salivary glands. Symptoms of salivary gland dysfunction, including pain, swelling, altered taste, dry mouth, and swallowing/speaking difficulties, are the most serious and common complaints of patients who have undergone radioiodine therapy, and some of these symptoms are lifelong and negatively affect the patient’s quality of life [3]. The risk of adverse effect may force strict indications for radioiodine therapy in patients with DTC. Prevention or reduction of radioiodine therapy-induced damage to the salivary glands could increase the active use of effective radioiodine therapy by reducing both patients’ and physicians’ reluctance to the therapy. …