Nuclear medicine

Nuclear medicine involves the use of small amounts of radioactive substances, or radiopharmaceuticals, for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.

The field of nuclear medicine developed in the mid-20th century following the development of nuclear technology.
It involves the application of radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
Common applications of nuclear medicine include Imaging techniques such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT).
These techniques allow for non-invasive inspection of tissue and organ function.

Radiopharmaceuticals function by being injected into the body, where they emit radiation that can be detected and turned into images or can be used to treat disease.
These substances are often designed to target specific bodily functions. For example, radioiodine targets the thyroid gland, allowing for imaging or treatment of thyroid diseases.
Radiotracers are radioactive substances that are used to study the function of organs or tissues. They emit gamma rays that can be detected externally by special cameras.

While nuclear medicine procedures are generally safe and cause few side effects, they do involve exposure to low levels of ionising radiation.
There is a possible increased risk of cancer over the lifetime of patients receiving large amounts of ionising radiation.
Other short-term side effects can include allergic reactions and changes in blood pressure. Prompt medical attention can manage these effects.
It’s important to note that the potential diagnostic and therapeutic benefits of nuclear medicine often outweigh the potential risk from radiation.

The future of nuclear medicine lies in developing new tracers and techniques to study diseases.
There is growing interest in theranostics, which combines therapy and diagnosis into a single step.
This could allow for personalised medicine where treatments are tailored to individual patient’s needs based on their unique physiology and disease state.
Another area of research is in improving imaging technology for sharper, more detailed images.