Conception after Iodine-131 Therapy for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

We reviewed the medical history of 26 women with differentiated thyroid cancer who became pregnant after receiving therapeutic doses of radioactive iodine (131I) in order to document the possibility of a greater risk for disorders in these pregnancies. There were a total of 39 pregnancies, 6 of which occurred during the first year after therapy. In 3 cases the following anomalies were encountered: a male suffering Trisomy 18 (Edward's syndrome), a female with constitutional aplastic anemia, and a male with a congenital hip dysplasia. Of the 33 pregnancies that occurred after the first year post-therapy, there were 2 spontaneous abortions and a male effected by ureteral stenosis. Based on these data, although it cannot be confirmed that these congenital disorders are due to the 131I therapy, we recommend that pregnancy be avoided for the first year after therapy.