Your treatment team, family members and friends will have to take precautions to limit their exposure to radiation.
In hospital |
At home |
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Safety measures vary between hospitals, and the medical team will discuss the specific details with you before treatment starts. Safety measures usually include:
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When you go home, you may have to continue following some safety measures for a few days. Your treatment team will discuss any safety measures with you before treatment. These precautions usually include:
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Sometimes these safety measures can make you feel anxious or lonely. Discuss any concerns you have with your doctors, nurses or a counsellor. It’s a good idea to take something to hospital to help occupy your time – perhaps a book, tablet device, craft or puzzles.
→ READ MORE: Side effects of RAI treatment
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A/Prof Diana Learoyd, Endocrinologist, GenesisCare North Shore, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW; Emeritus Professor Leigh Delbridge AM, The University of Sydney, Thyroid Surgeon, The Mater and North Shore Private Hospitals, NSW; Prof Ruta Gupta, Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and The University of Sydney, NSW; Susan Leonard, Cancer Nurse Coordinator Thyroid and Brachytherapy, Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, QLD; Dr Dean Lisewski, Endocrine and General Surgeon, Fiona Stanley Hospital and St John of God Hospital, Murdoch, WA; Caitriona Nienaber, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Jonathan Park, Consumer; A/Prof David Pattison, Deputy Director and Senior Staff Specialist, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Specialised PET Services, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and School of Medicine, University of Queensland, QLD; Prof Bruce Robinson, Endocrinologist, Co-Head, Cancer Genetics, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, The University of Sydney and Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW; Marissa Ryan, Team Leader (Cancer) Pharmacist, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD.
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