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Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear medicine is a medical specialty that relies on the process of radioactive decay using very small amounts of radioactive substances, called radiotracers, to create images of the body and its organs or to treat them. The technique works by tracking radioactive chemicals that are injected into the patient’s body, where they accumulate in the organ or tissue of interest and that reveal biochemical changes.
Nuclear medicine employs a variety of imaging devices and therapeutics that use radionuclides. PET and SPECT technologies enable physicians to diagnose different types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological disorders in their early stages. These techniques are also a cheaper alternative to more invasive procedures such as biopsy or surgery. Nuclear imaging devices are also valuable for conducting research on the biology of human diseases and for developing and testing new treatment approaches.
Although nuclear medicine has already made significant contributions to biomedical research and disease monitoring, scientists are working to find ways to determine how well therapy is working in patients, enabling them to tailor treatments for individuals and their diseases, also known as "personalized medicine". Nuclear Medicine has continuously improved to become an invaluable tool in the field of Molecular Medicine.
