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Uses of Iodine in Lung Cancer Treatment

Lung cancer is a serious disease that the University of Maryland estimates causes at least 160,000 deaths in the United States every year. Iodine can be used in radiation treatment to fight lung cancer, and may also be used as a nutritional supplement to help in combating the disease.

  1. Lung Cancer

    • A person has lung cancer when they have a cancerous tumor growing on their lung. Stanford Medicine identifies many potential causes of lung cancer such as the damage caused to a lung by a severe disease such as tuberculosis and damage inflicted on the lungs by tobacco smoke. Lung cancer that is not treated will begin to spread to other parts of the body and will usually eventually become life-threatening.

    Iodine

    • Iodine is a mineral that the body requires to make the thyroid hormones supplied by the thyroid. Iodine is usually added to table salt in Western countries, helping to reduce levels of iodine deficiency, which is a leading cause of hypothyroidism, which can cause fatigue, depression and muscle cramps, among other symptoms.

    Radiation

    • Radiation therapy is one of the ways in which lung cancer is treated. High-energy, ionizing radiation is directed towards the cancer cells, which kills them and causes the tumor to shrink. A highly radioactive type of iodine is one of the substances that is used to create the radiation. Radiation therapy is usually used to shrink a tumor before surgery. It is not usually intended as a stand-alone cure.

    Supplements

    • Because iodine supplements have been used as a home remedy for a number of issues associated with the lungs such as asthma, some people use iodine supplements to attempt to fight lung cancer. This connection may have been made because iodine deficiency causes hypothyroidism, which can cause an accumulation of fluid in and around the lungs. This may have made it appear that iodine actually helps to combat unassociated lung problems. However, there is no concrete medical proof that iodine supplements can assist in fighting lung cancer.

    Considerations

    • Consult your doctor before making any decisions regarding nutritional supplements. While iodine deficiency can cause hypothyroidism, over-consumption of iodine can also cause the same problem. Iodine can also interact badly with some medications such as lithium and warafin (used to thin blood).

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