What are nuclear medicine applications?
Application of nuclear medicine has been an area of intensive medical research since the end of the 20th century. Nuclear medicine refers to the use of radioactive isotopes in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases and conditions, including cancer, heart disease and organ function. Application of nuclear medicine usually serves diagnostic purposes, although certain diseases can also be treated with radioactive medicine.
The most common application of nuclear medicine is found in the wide world of diagnostics. Compounds that combine radioactive isotopes with drugs called radiopharmaceutics are particularly useful in creating detailed images of internal activity. The patient may take the correct radiopharmaceutical through IV or as a pill and then sends detectable radiation throughout the body. Using special cameras, radiation is used to create a picture of bone, tissue or organs as needed for diagnosis.
Some advanced imaging systems can combine diagnostic images created by more traditional CT or MRI SKEThose with those created radiopharmaceuticals to create a much more complete picture of the area. Diagnostic applications of nuclear medicine include detecting and staging cancer, visualizing flow and blood function in the heart, kidneys and lungs, and early detection of some neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. Radiopharmaceuticals are also commonly used in the detection and diagnosis of hyperthyroidism. Because images provided by this type of scan are such a detailed, nuclear drug also helps doctors to determine and plan the best form of treatment for the detected condition.
The growing field for nuclear medicine applications is interventional treatment of cancer and other conditions. Nuclear medicine based on treatment usually uses special shortwave radioactive compounds that can focus on specific Area in the body without affecting the surrounding organs or body systems. This type of medicine is most commonly used for thyroid cancer and treatment of hyperthyroidism. Other applications include treatment of lymphatic and endocrinMalum cancer and some forms of bone cancer. One radiopharmaceutical, called radioactive phosphorus or P-32, is often used in the treatment of blood disorders.
It is expected that the application of nuclear medicine will increase as soon as further research is carried out. Although the diagnostic abilities of this medical branch can be very useful in the detection and analysis of abnormalities throughout the body, the available nuclear treatment remains relatively rare. Nuclear medicine remains an important area of research and discovery aimed at providing new treatment, increasing diagnostic sensitivity and providing less expensive, non -invasive options for patients who need diagnostics.