Nuclear medicine

Specialized branch of medicine deals with diagnosing and treating diseases using radiopharmaceuticals.

What is it

Nuclear medicine is a specialized branch of medicine that deals with diagnosing and treating diseases using small amounts of a radioactive material called a radiopharmaceutical.

By binding specifically to organs or tissues, radiopharmaceuticals allow to analyze both their structure and functionality. In this way it is also possible to trace the cause of the disease in a non-invasive, painless and safe way. In fact, in most cases the radiation dose to which a person treated with nuclear medicine techniques is subjected are very small. In addition, radiopharmaceuticals quickly lose their radioactivity and the body quickly eliminates them.

When you need it

Nuclear medicine is used to quickly and accurately diagnose different types of diseases, from those affecting the heart to tumors, based on the accumulation of radiopharmaceuticals in organs and tissues.

In case of abnormalities in the structure or functioning of the latter, the concentration of the radiopharmaceutical within them may be higher or lower than that detectable in healthy tissues or organs.

It is precisely on the basis of these concentrations that doctors and technicians can notice the presence of structural or functional alterations. For example, a tumor could be identified based on the increase in the concentration of the radiopharmaceutical in the affected organ.

However, radiopharmaceuticals can also be used for therapeutic purposes, because by concentrating in diseased tissues, for example in a tumor mass, they invest them with radiation and destroy them.

A radiopharmaceutical administered to the patient for therapeutic use is safe if, by concentrating in the pathological tissues, it manages to irradiate and destroy them, sparing, as far as possible, healthy ones.

Examples of application of nuclear medicine in the therapeutic field are the treatment of hyperthyroidism, that of polycythemia vera, the intra-articular therapy of chronic synovitis associated with rheumatoid arthritis and the treatment of bone metastases from prostate cancer.

How does that work

Nuclear medicine techniques involve the injection, ingestion or inhalation of radiopharmaceuticals, the amount of which is calibrated to minimize the amount of radiation to which the patient is exposed.

Subsequently, the concentrations of the radiopharmaceutical are analyzed using particular techniques (such as scintigraphy, PET or SPECT) that detect the emission of radiation by providing images of the area to be analyzed.

The advantages and benefits

Compared to other approaches, nuclear medicine is much more sensitive to structural or functional abnormalities of organs and tissues. For this reason, it allows a much earlier diagnosis and treatment.

In addition to being safe and painless, nuclear medicine helps doctors determine the severity or spread of the disease, choose the most suitable therapy for the individual patient, verify the effectiveness of a specific drug, tailor therapies based on responses to treatments, monitor disease progression and identify any recurrence.

Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.

The blog covers a wide range of topics related to health and wellness, with articles organized into several categories.

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