Free Low-Iodine Cookbook Written by Thyroid Cancer Survivors Helps Other Patients Prepare for Radioiodine Scans, Treatments

New 5th Edition Now Available at www.thyca.org, ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association

More than 60 thyroid cancer survivors have donated more than 185 of their favorite recipes to the newly published 5th edition of the free Low-Iodine Cookbook used worldwide by thyroid cancer patients preparing for the radioiodine scans and treatments often used with thyroid cancer.

The new cookbook is downloadable free of charge from www.thyca.org, the web site of the national nonprofit organization ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, which developed the cookbook. The recipe contributors have all used the temporary low- iodine diet themselves, often for a 2-week period before a scan or treatment with radioactive iodine.

A new feature of the cookbook is a one-page guidelines summary in both English and Spanish, also downloadable from the ThyCa web site. The guidelines were provided by thyroid cancer specialist physicians and low-iodine diet researchers who advise ThyCa and speak at the annual international thyroid cancer survivors' conferences.

"Contributing low-iodine recipes is a way for thyroid cancer patients to do something positive for ourselves and for others," says cookbook Editor Leah Guljord, West Melbourne, Florida, who is also Assistant Chair of ThyCa's Board of Directors and Facilitator of the ThyCa Space Coast Local Support Group. "We congratulate and thank all the wonderful volunteers who shared their recipes. These delicious recipes are the volunteers' family favorites. They provide a great variety of choices for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desserts, as well as appetizers, snacks, sauces, and spreads.

"We invite everyone to share this free book with their families, friends, and physicians. Physicians, hospitals, and clinics are also welcome to download this cookbook and give copies to their patients."

The downloadable cookbook is one of many resources and support services available at no charge from ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association (www.thyca.org). ThyCa also offers local support groups, one-to-one support through its Person To Person Network, e-mail groups, free one-day regional workshops, annual conferences, Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, and year-round awareness programs. ThyCa also sponsors thyroid cancer research grants. The Ninth International Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Conference will feature more than 80 session choices and will take place in Orlando, Florida, on October 27-29, 2006.

ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc. is an all- volunteer, non-profit organization of thyroid cancer survivors, family members, and health care professionals, dedicated to education, communication, support, awareness for early detection, and thyroid cancer research fundraising and research grants. For more information, call 1-877-588-7904, send e-mail to thyca@thyca.org, write to PO Box 1545, New York, NY 10159-1545, or visit www.thyca.org.