Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Week promotes recent advances

This week, Oct. 6-12, is Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Week and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) and the SNMMI Technologist Section (SNMMI-TS) are rallying the medical community to raise public awareness about the industry.

The theme this year is “Molecular Imaging: The Future…Delivered.” Some of the technological innovations being cited as particularly groundbreaking in recent months include developments in optical imaging; new imaging agents that aid anti-cancer therapy monitoring, such as 68Ga-DOTATOC, F-18 FLT and F-18 FMISO; therapies such as 223-Radium dichloride (Xofigo) to improve survival in patients with metastatic bone cancer; optimization of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging protocols and standardization of practice concerning issues such as dose reduction and appropriate use; and expansion of molecular imaging in clinical trials.

“The nuclear medicine and molecular imaging research currently being conducted has the potential to expand our field in a significant way and enhance ‘personalized medicine’,” said current SNMMI president Gary Dillehay, MD, in a release. “From new imaging tracers to expanded use of radionuclide therapy to improved dose optimization, there is much to look forward to in the coming years.”

SNMMI and SNMMI-TS have put out an official toolkit to help nuclear medicine and molecular imaging institutions promote the industry. The toolkit provides a collection of templates for a variety of communications, including letters to government officials in an effort to educate and bolster support for the industry, steps for procuring more media coverage including how to draft media advisories, press releases and public service announcements. The kit also provides a resource for nuclear medicine and molecular imaging-themed activities, including open houses, free lectures, poster presentations and job fairs.