External Beam Radiation Therapy for Thyroid Cancer: Modes of Administration and Current Role.

Radiation therapy in one form or the other has an important role in the treatment of thyroid cancer. In the definitive setting, external beam radiation therapy is used in situations where microscopic or gross residual disease after thyroidectomy cannot be effectively treated with radioactive iodine or with targeted therapy. In patients with metastatic disease to the lungs, bone, brain, or other organs, different types of radiation can be administered depending on the clinical situation of the patient.