Salivary gland side effects commonly develop several weeks after initial radioactive iodine ablation.

Unlabelled: Salivary gland side effects (SSEs) can be a source of significant morbidity in thyroid cancer patients receiving radioactive iodine (RAI) for remnant ablation or therapy. However, the incidence, time course, and ultimate resolution of SSEs that develop in the first few months after a single administered activity of RAI for remnant ablation has not be adequately defined.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of patients after RAI remnant ablation (RRA) to determine the incidence of salivary gland-related side effects reported within the first year of RRA, the dose-response relationship between administered activity and specific SSEs, and the incidence of specific SSEs based on the method of preparation for remnant ablation (recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone [rhTSH] vs.