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

Authors

  • Aisyah Elliyanti Department of Radiology, Oncology Radiation and Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia
  • Zulva Aziza Undergraduate Study Program of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia
  • Yulia Kurniawati Department of Radiology, Oncology Radiation and Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia
  • Daan Khambri Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia
  • Arni Amir Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia
  • Yusticia Katar Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13181/mji.oa.257458

Keywords:

anti-Mullerian hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, follicular thyroid carcinoma, luteinizing hormone, papillary thyroid cancer, sperm analysis

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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Published

2025-03-27

How to Cite

1.
Elliyanti A, Aziza Z, Kurniawati Y, Khambri D, Amir A, Katar Y. Reproductive function after radioactive iodine treatment for differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients: a systematic review. Med J Indones [Internet]. 2025 Mar. 27 [cited 2025 Apr. 2];34(1):44-57. Available from: https://mji.ui.ac.id/journal/index.php/mji/article/view/7458

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Section

Clinical Research