Random question

[Bustamove86]

This is not urgent, but I was watching the new hbo show about Chernobyl and did some reading about how people who were exposed were given iodine tablets. Also read about a huge increase in thyroid cancer after the explosion happened. First, what would happen to someone if they didn’t have a thyroid and were exposed? Would we be better off or worse? Also, would iodine tablets do anything for someone with no thyroid?

[magsyh]

This is slightly complicated as I understand. When exposed to radiation iodine protects. It's basically if you are low in iodine you suck up elements which mimic iodine such as bromide, fluoride. If a disaster like Chernobyl occurs and your thyroid isn't saturated by iodine your thyroid sucks up the radioactive material. That's why they give iodine in high doses to protect the thyroid as it sucks in all the iodine it can get. Every cell in the body needs iodine especially if you are a woman. The use of iodine and thyroid is highly debated but every cell needs it. Supplement iodine in pure form is not really recommend but eating seafood etc is highly beneficial. It's a question of balance. If you didn't have a thyroid there would be nothing to suck in the radiation I suppose but the rest of your body would be at risk of you were low in iodine and most people are.

[Bustamove86 in reply to magsyh]

Thank you! So basically I’d be even more at risk?

[magsyh in reply to Bustamove86]

Not really if you don't have a thyroid to suck up the radiation? Same thing for X rays your thyroid is at risk

[AndrewT in reply to Bustamove86]

Dear Bustermove86,

I can't answer you specifically but I CAN give, a little, more information about why Iodine is given generally. There is a Radioactive (irradiated, in simple terms) form of iodine, which will be FAR more prevalent after a Nuclear Disaster- of any kind. By supplying large, even VERY large, quantities of 'Normal' Iodine the bodies uptake of the radioactive kind- produced in Nuclear Reaction(s)- will be reduced or even eradicated. Since your body would, generally speaking, be receiving mainly the Non Radioactive Iodine, then I doubt you would be any more, or less, affected than anyone else.

I'm sorry that I can't be more specific Bustermove86- I'm afraid that I know little- or nothing- about Thyroid problems. I have Kidney, Brain and Heart 'Troubles', though I have had my Para-Thyroids removed- they are 'Linked' to Calcium levels, often a Problem for Kidney/ Dialysis Patients. If you DO want to ask me anything further then, please do, Fell free Bustermove86 (interesting 'Name', how did you 'Come By' it?)

Kindest Wishes

AndrewT

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Radioactive isotopes of iodine are released from events like Chernobyl.

These isotopes are readily absorbed and would accumulate primarily in the thyroid. This could result in relatively high levels of radioactivity and the consequences of that include cancer.

The taking of iodine tablets is intended to ensure that our thyroids (in particular) have taken in as much iodine as they can, and that iodine is entirely non-radioactive. Therefore, the thyroid won't take in much radioactive iodine. The effect should be that the thyroid never has enough radioactive iodine to be damaging.

Radioactive iodine isotopes are generally fairly short-lived. It is within the hours, days and weeks of initial release that the danger is at its height.

So far as I am aware, iodine tablets have no impact on any other radioactive substances (e.g. caesium).

If you don't have a thyroid, there is no thyroid to accumulate radioactive iodine and get damaged. But I really do not know enough to say that you should not take one.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to helvella]

Here is an abstract which questions the evidence for iodine tablets:

J Radiol Prot. 2016 Dec;36(4):R112-R130. Epub 2016 Sep 21.

The effects of iodine blocking on thyroid cancer, hypothyroidism and benign thyroid nodules following nuclear accidents: a systematic review.

Pfinder M1, Dreger S, Christianson L, Lhachimi SK, Zeeb H.

Author information

Abstract

A potential radiation protection method to reduce the risk of adverse health outcomes in the case of accidental radioactive iodine release is the administration of potassium iodide (KI). Although KI administration is recommended by WHO's Guidelines for Iodine Prophylaxis following Nuclear Accidents, a systematic review of the scientific evidence for the guidelines is lacking. Therefore, this study aims to systematically review the effects of KI administration in the case of accidental radioactive iodine release on thyroid cancer, hypothyroidism and benign thyroid nodules. We applied standard systematic review methodology for a search of the literature, selection of eligible studies, data extraction, assessment of risk of bias, assessment of heterogeneity, data synthesis, and the assessment of the quality of the evidence. We searched MEDLINE (via PubMed) and EMBASE. We found one cross-sectional study, one analytic cohort study and two case-control studies relating to our question. The number of participants ranged from 886-12 514. Two studies were conducted in children and two other studies in children and adults. It was not possible to conduct a meta-analysis. We identified low to very low-quality evidence that KI administration after a nuclear accident resulted in a reduction of the risk of thyroid cancer in children; however, the KI administration and dose was not well described in the studies. None of the studies investigated the effects of KI administration in the case of a nuclear accident on hypothyroidism and benign thyroid nodules. Low to very low-quality evidence suggests that KI intake following a nuclear accident may reduce the risk of thyroid cancer in children. No conclusions can be drawn about the effectiveness of KI intake with respect to the prevention of hypothyroidism and benign thyroid nodules.

PMID: 27655110

DOI: 10.1088/0952-4746/36/4/R112

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/276...

And the World Health Organisation's guidance of iodine:

who.int/ionizing_radiation/...

That guidance expressly says those who have or had thyroid disease should not take iodine prophylaxis but do read it for more detail.