There Are "Hot" People Among Us

Oct. 22, 2010 - PRLog -- It has been reported that about 40,000 people a year are diagnosed with thyroid cancer.  For some of these patients, surgery alone is the treatment, but for some more is needed.  The treatment that is performed is call radioactive iodine oblation.   This is done by having the patient swallow radioactive iodine, or iodine-131.  It then concentrates in the remaining thyroid tissues in the body, but unfortunately small amounts are excreted through the urine, saliva and sweat.  According to the National Cancer Institute most of this radiation is gone in about one week.
Traditionally patients stayed in an isolation room in the hospital.  Here everything the patient could touch such as the telephone and TV remote were covered with plastic wrap.  No visitors are allowed in the room.  Meals are delivered behind a protective wall.  Everything coming out of the room was handled with a very strict protocol.  Patients were monitored on a daily bases to see how "hot" they still were and when they reached a safe level they were discharged.  The patient was also asked to stay away from contact with young children and pregnant women for at least an other week after going home.
Today, there are many instances there is a shift to less costly outpatient facilities.  This is raising a reason for the community to be alarmed.  Some patients have to travel a distance to receive treatment at this facilities.  They will either travel back home, stay with friends or family, or stay at a hotel.  What ever they do, they will be in contact with people and will be causing contamination of some kind.  
When a patient is sent home to recover from this RIA treatment, they have to place themselves in isolation keeping a good distance from the people they may be living with.  There should not be any children, or small pets in the same residence. This appears not to be happening as a survey done on more than 1000 patients by a subcommittee of House Energy and Environment staff chaired by Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., found among other stats that:
   ⁃   About 7 percent of outpatients said they had gone directly to a hotel after their treatment
   ⁃   About one-quarter of outpatients said they never discussed how to avoid exposing pregnant women and children with radiation
   ⁃   About 56 percent stated that the treated patients shared a bathroom or a bedroom with a pregnant women or a child.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering new rules to address these concerns.  Oncologist have to inform the out-patients of the risks they present to the public and ensure  the patient and understands these risks.  Brochures with clear instructions should be given to the patients and to their family.
There is so much to learn by a patient and their family when diagnosed with thyroid cancer.  The website http://www.fucoidanforhealth.com will provide you with information from someone who has gone through the journey of the treatments of RAI.