Medical Journal of Indonesia
Vol. 34 No. 1 (2025): March

Reproductive function after radioactive iodine treatment for differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients: a systematic review

Elliyanti, Aisyah (Unknown)
Aziza, Zulva (Unknown)
Kurniawati, Yulia (Unknown)
Khambri, Daan (Unknown)
Amir, Arni (Unknown)
Katar, Yusticia (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
27 Mar 2025

Abstract

BACKGROUND Thyroid cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the endocrine system, with a rapidly rising incidence over the past 3 decades. Treatment for patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) typically includes surgery, radioactive iodine (I-131) therapy, and levothyroxine (L-T4) suppressive therapy. This study aimed to explore the potential side effects of I-131 therapy on reproductive function in men and women with DTC. METHODS A literature search was performed using 4 databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, BioMed Central, and Google Scholar), limited to English publications since 2013. Clinical trials and observational studies that evaluated I-131 in DTC, focused on reproductive-age patients, and included pre-therapy or during-therapy examinations, administered doses, and treatment frequencies of I-131 were selected. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist is used as a comprehensive evaluation tool, and the literature quality was categorized as high, moderate, and low. RESULTS The final 17 articles examined the effect of I-131, with 13 focusing on women's reproductive function and 4 on men's. Women who received I-131 therapy can lower anti-Mullerian hormone levels and disrupt menstrual cycles within the first year, and it does not affect subsequent pregnancies. For men, the therapy led to elevated levels of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone, along with changes in sperm quantity, morphology, and motility, which tend to normalize within a year post-therapy. CONCLUSIONS The reproductive side effects associated with I-131 therapy are generally transient, with most individuals experiencing a return to normal within 1 year following treatment.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

MJI

Publisher

Subject

Medicine & Pharmacology

Description

This quarterly medical journal is an official scientific journal of the Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia in collaboration with German-Indonesian Medical Association (DIGM) Indexed in: IMSEAR; CAB Abstracts; Global Health; HINARI; DOAJ; DRJI; Google Scholar; JournalTOCs; Ulrichsweb Global ...