Services

Nuclear
Medicine

Nuclear medicine uses small amounts of radioactive material combined with a carrier molecule. This compound is called a radiotracer or radiopharmaceutical. Doctors use nuclear medicine exams to diagnose, assess, and treat various diseases. These diseases include cancer, heart diseases, gastrointestinal, endocrine, or neurological conditions.

Nuclear medicine exams use a small amount of radioactive material combined with a carrier molecule. This compound is called a radiotracer. These exams help diagnose and evaluate medical conditions. They are non-invasive and generally painless.

When the radiotracer is injected into the body, it accumulates in certain areas. The radiotracers go to the area of the body that needs to be examined, such as a cancerous tumor or an inflamed area. It can also bind to certain proteins in the body.

Nuclear medicine exams provide unique information that is generally not obtainable using other imaging procedures. This information may include details about the function and anatomy of body structures.
Nuclear medicine provides the most useful diagnostic or treatment information for many diseases.
A nuclear medicine scan is less expensive and can provide more accurate information than exploratory surgery.
Nuclear medicine offers the possibility of identifying diseases in their early stages, generally before other diagnostic studies can detect symptoms or abnormalities.

By detecting lesions that are likely benign or malignant, PET scans can eliminate the need for surgical biopsies or identify the best site for biopsy.
PET scans can provide information for radiation therapy planning.
Radionuclide therapies target cancer cells while limiting radiation exposure to healthy tissue. They are generally well tolerated.
Treatment periods may be shorter than those of other cancer treatments and with fewer side effects.