The aim of this study was to determine the external dose rate of iodine retention as a function of time in the bodies of thyroid cancer patients during their isolation period in the hospital. Urine samples were collected at 6th, 12th, 18th, 24th h and 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th d from 83 patients after oral administration of (131)I and counted. The external dose rates were also simultaneously determined at the same time points. Then, it was expressed as retained radioiodine body activity versus dose rate. Effective half life calculated from urine sample measurements was found as 18.4±1.8 h within the first 24 h and 64±2.7 h between 48 and 120 h. According to this results, the external dose rate (<20 µSv h(-1)), which patients could be discharged, was achieved after 48 h for 3700 and 5550 MBq, and after 72 h for 7400 MBq of (131)I treatments.