How does nuclear medicine work?

Answer 1

Nuclear medicine is a form or medical imaging where we take drugs that we know what they do in the body, and attach a radioactive atom to each of the molecules so that as the drugs is being used by the body, we can image it with special cameras called gamma cameras. We also do some forms of therapy for thyroid disorders, liver tumors, and bone pain palliation. I hope that's a good enough answer for this general question, but if more is needed, just let me know.

Answer 2

Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine Imaging

In Nuclear Medicine imaging, radiopharmaceuticals are taken internally, for example intravenously or orally. Then, external detectors (gamma cameras) capture and form images from the radiation emitted by the radiopharmaceuticals. This process is unlike a diagnostic X-ray where external radiation is passed through the body to form an image. Nuclear medicine imaging may also be referred to as radionuclide imaging or nuclear scintigraphy.

Nuclear medicine tests differ from most other imaging modalities in that diagnostic tests primarily show the physiological function of the system being investigated as opposed to traditional anatomical imaging such as CT or MRI. Nuclear Medicine imaging studies are generally more organ or tissue specific (e.g.: lungs scan, heart scan, bone scan, brain scan, etc.) than those in conventional radiology imaging, which focus on a particular section of the body (e.g.: chest X-ray, abdomen/pelvis CT scan, head CT scan, etc.). In addition, there are nuclear medicine studies that allow imaging of the whole body based on certain cellular receptors or functions. Examples are whole body PET or PET/CT scans, Gallium scans, white blood cell scans, MIBG and Octreotide scans.

Nuclear Medicine Therapy

In Nuclear Medicine therapy, the radiation treatment dose is also administered internally (e.g. intravenous or oral routes) rather from an external radiation source.

Molecular Medicine

In the future, Nuclear Medicine may be known as Molecular Medicine. As our understanding of biological processes in the cells of living organism expands, specific probes can be developed to allow visualization, characterization, and quantification of biologic processes at the cellular and subcellular levels. Nuclear Medicine is an ideal specialty to adapt to the new discipline of molecular medicine, because of its emphasis on function and its utilization of imaging agents that are specific for a particular disease process.

surMedical.com Team