Associations between radioactive iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism and cancer incidence and mortality
Main finding · Overall cancer incidenceResult — go to the resultMv HR 1.02 95% CI 0.76–1.47Authors' conclusion
RAI treatment was associated with increased breast cancer incidence but not overall cancer incidence or mortality. Findings for pancreatic cancer mortality were suggestive. These results support the importance of long-term safety monitoring among RAI-treated patients.
Study context
- Population
- Adults aged ≥18 years newly diagnosed with hyperthyroidism 2006–2019, without prior cancer, University of Michigan de-identified EHR dataset
- Participants
- 6,435 adults52,909 person-years
- Exposure
- Radioactive iodine (RAI) vs other therapies
- Outcome
- Overall and site-specific cancer incidence and mortality
- Follow-up
- Mean 8.2 years (range 0.5-17 years)
Methodological detailssingle-institution EHR dataset, time-dependent Cox models
- Single-institution EHR dataset
- Time-dependent Cox models
Main finding
Overall cancer incidence
Mv HR
1.02
95% CI 0.76–1.47
P = 0.734
RAIvs Other therapies
mv HR 1.02 (95% CI 0.76–1.47); P = 0.734
As reported in the abstract
- Incident cancers
- 487
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Estimate | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer mortality | mv HR 0.81 (95% CI 0.45–1.44) | P = 0.471 | |
| Breast cancer risk, women | mv HR 2.24 (95% CI 1.21–4.17) | P = 0.011 | |
| Breast cancer risk, postmenopausal women | mv HR 2.65 (95% CI 1.24–5.66) | P = 0.011 | |
| Pancreatic cancer mortality, ≥2 years of follow-upSensitivity analysis | age-adj HR 4.05 (95% CI 1.01–16.20) | P = 0.042 | |
| 0.050.21520Ratio (log scale) |
- Cancer mortality — Cancer deaths
- 157
Original publication
Associations between radioactive iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism and cancer incidence and mortality. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Published 17 February 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →