Radioactive iodine and female fertility

Radioactive iodine (I-131) is used after surgery in the treatment of Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma (DTC). There is no solid evidence about the potential deleterious effect of I-131 on women fertility. The objective of this study is to assess the impact that I-131 may have on fertility in women. All women followed by DTC in our department have been analyzed and women younger than 45 years old at the time of diagnosis and initial treatment were included. There were 40 women exposed to I-131 (study group) and 11 women who were only treated with thyroidectomy (control group). Of the women exposed to I-131, 40% went through early menopause, while no cases were reported among their controls. Furthermore, 29.2% of women exposed to I-131 had decreased Antimullerian Hormone (AMH), compared to the only 11% of unexposed women (not significant). Regarding the fertility impairment perceived by patients, in the group of women exposed to iodine, 17.9% described being unable to complete their genesic desire whereas, none was registered in the control group. We conclude that radioactive iodine can affect a woman's fertility and shorten her reproductive life, so this is an aspect that should be taken into consideration.

Automated summary

This study examined the impact of radioactive iodine (I-131) treatment on women's fertility. The results showed that a significant percentage of women treated with I-131 experienced early menopause and reduced levels of Antimullerian Hormone. Some women also reported a negative impact on their ability to conceive.