Salivary gland malignancy and radioiodine therapy for thyroid cancer.
BACKGROUND
The risk of second primary malignancies in patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer is of special interest because of the common use of radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation and/or treatment of these patients and the theoretical risk of subsequent nonthyroid malignancies associated with the radiation exposure. This brief report focuses specifically on the occurrence of second primary malignancies of the salivary glands. RAI residency within salivary tissues is known to have both acute and chronic consequences on salivary function, but secondary neoplasia is quite unusual.


CONCLUSIONS
We present a very rare case of a patient with papillary thyroid cancer treated with 600 mCi of RAI, who subsequently developed salivary gland cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
We recommend salivary gland protection to diminish potential side effects after the exposure to radioiodine. On the basis of our experience we suggest administration of sialogogues (such as lemon juice) continuously, every 30-60 minutes for 24 hours, after RAI administration.
Klubo-Gwiezdzinska
Joanna
J
Department of Medicine, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC 20010-2910, USA.
Van Nostrand
Douglas
D
Burman
Kenneth D
KD
Vasko
Vasyl
V
Chia
Stanley
S
Deng
Tom
T
Kulkarni
Kanchan
K
Wartofsky
Leonard
L
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes