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10 October 2008

Answer to Question #2172 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Pregnancy and Radiation — Conception after exposures

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

My husband will undergo radioactive therapy for thyroid cancer. We were told that he'll have to be quarantined for ten days. We're thinking of starting a family. How long should we wait, after the treatment, until it's safe for us to start trying to conceive? Many thanks.

A general rule, without information on the dose of iodine-131 that he would receive, would be that you should wait six months, although if you became pregnant immediately, your reproductive risks would probably not be affected significantly. The six-month waiting period after the last dose is very conservative. It will give you time to see how effective the treatment has been and any effect on his sperm formation will have diminished. So wait the six months. It is a good idea for many other reasons.

Robert Brent MD, PhD, DSc

Answer posted on 9 April 2003. The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Web site. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.