The risks of radioactive iodine treatment in thyroid cancer

Well-differentiated thyroid cancer is one of the most common endocrine cancers, and is often treated using radioactive iodine. However, the risk of subsequent cancer development from radioactive iodine treatment has not been previously determined. Remco Molenaar, MD, PhD, from the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands, discusses the use of this radioisotope, and explains the results of a recent study which suggested that this treatment could increase the risk of patients developing acute myeloid leukemia. This interview was recorded at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2017 conference in Madrid, Spain.