Answer to Question #10447 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Nuclear Medicine Patient Issues — Therapeutic Nuclear Medicine

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

Q
I am due for my nuclear medicine full-body scan (one year after thyroid cancer). I will be administered the iodine-131 on a Friday but because of holidays will have the scan done four days later. Will the scan still work? I've read the scan must be performed 24 to 72 hours after the dose. Should I try and change the appointment?
A
The scan will work 7 to 10 days later as well. Don’t worry. You need not make any changes.

Carol S. Marcus, PhD, MD
Professor of Radiation Oncology and of Radiological Sciences, UCLA
Answer posted on 1 October 2012. The information posted on this web page is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may affect the applicability of concepts, 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. To the best of our knowledge, answers are correct at the time they are posted. Be advised that over time, requirements could change, new data could be made available, and Internet links could change, affecting the correctness of the answers. Answers are the professional opinions of the expert responding to each question; they do not necessarily represent the position of the Health Physics Society.