Hackensack, NJ
A 81-year-old female asked:
My endo want to do whole body scan with i-123 before having me go on rai for pap thyroid cancer. shouldn't he do the rai first &whole body scan later?
2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in

Dr. Alan Feldmananswered
42 years experience
Depends: It sounds like you are having rai now because you didn't do it initially, rather than having it to treat recurrent disease. It is reasonable to do the scan first to assess how much thyroid tissue is left in your neck, and whether there is evidence of disease elsewhere in your body. The dose of rai would then be adjusted by the findings.
4.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Chaitanya Mamillapallianswered
Internal Medicine 21 years experience
It is done sometimes: In some situations, a diagnostic scan with I 123 is performed before a treatment with high dose Radiodine, to identify the amount of disease burden and to help with dosing of the radiodine treatment.
232 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Last updated Jan 2, 2019
People also asked
Connect with a U.S. board-certified doctor by text or video anytime, anywhere.
24/7 visits - just $39!
50% off with $15/month membership
Disclaimer:
Content on HealthTap (including answers) should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and interactions on HealthTap do not create a doctor-patient relationship. Never disregard or delay professional medical advice in person because of anything on HealthTap. Call your doctor or 911 if you think you may have a medical emergency.