Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicine (also called molecular imaging) includes positron emission computed tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. Nuclear imaging is achieved by injecting small amounts of radioactive material (radiopharmaceuticals) into patients before or during their scan. These can use sugars or chemical traits to bond to specific cells. The radioactive material is taken up by cells that consume the sugars. The radiation emitted from inside the body is detected by photon detectors outside the body. Computers take the data to assemble images of the radiation emissions. Nuclear images may appear fuzzy or ghostly rather than the sharper resolution from MRI and CT.  But, it provides metabolic information at a cellular level, showing if there are defects in the function of the heart, areas of very high metabolic activity associated with cancer cells, or areas of inflammation, data not available from other modalities. These noninvasive imaging exams are used to diagnose cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, bone disorders and other disorders. 

Bhvita Jani, medical imaging principal analyst, Signify Research, discusses growing trend of theragnostics in nuclear imaging and oncology at RSNA2023. #theragnostics #RSNA #RSNA23 #RSNA2023 #radiology #NucMed #Oncology

Theragnostics: A growing trend in molecular imaging

Bhvita Jani, medical imaging principal analyst at Signify Research, discusses the evolution of theragnostics and its applications in nuclear imaging and oncology.

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Pyrophosphate imaging agent shortage reported, could last weeks

Supply chain disruptions are blamed for the lack of production.

PHOTO GALLERY: New technology at RSNA 2023

Images from the world's largest radiology conference include new technologies and the latest advances in MRI, CT, nuclear medicine, X-ray, artificial intelligence, and PACS/enterprise imaging.

 International Workshop on Medical Radioisotopes Supply, October 2023

Medical radioisotope supply chain faces future crisis, Nuclear Energy Agency warns

Outdated infrastructure and a lack of young people entering the field are both impacting the security of critical isotopes such as molybdenum-99.

Jamie Bourque, MD, discusses fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and its growing use cases in cardiac PET imaging He discussed the radiotracer in sessions at ASNC 2023. #ASNC #ASNC23 #ASNC2023

The expanding scope of FDG-PET in nuclear cardiac imaging

Jamie Bourque, MD, spoke to Cardiovascular Business about the growing number of ways FDG-PET scans are being used in cardiology. This includes evaluating inflammation, tracking EP device infections and much more. 

Robert Hendel, MD, Tulane University and former ASNC president, explains the pressing business aspects of nuclear cardiology and why ASNC included business management sessions at its 2023 annual meeting. #ASNC #ASNC23 #ASNC2023

Business considerations in the modern nuclear cardiology practice

Robert Hendel, MD, discussed everything from declining reimbursements in cardiology to prior authorization policies in an exclusive new interview. 

Timothy Bateman, MD, co-director, cardiovascular radiologic imaging program, Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, professor of medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, and an ASNC past-president, is one of the authors on the AURORA study. He spoke with Cardiovascular Business about the study and what it is like to work with flurpiridaz.

Flurpiridaz will have a major impact on cardiac PET and nuclear imaging

The new radiotracer flurpiridaz is poised to make a major impact on nuclear cardiology. Timothy Bateman, MD, co-director of the cardiovascular radiologic imaging program at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, shared details on the tracer in a new interview. 

ovaries ovarian cancer

Pretargeted radioimmunotherapy shows early promise in treating aggressive ovarian cancer

The new-look nuclear medicine treatment was able to cure advanced ovarian cancer in some mice, with limited side effects.

Around the web

GE HealthCare's flurpiridaz, the PET radiotracer that recently received FDA approval, offers several key benefits over SPECT. Jamshid Maddahi, MD, discussed the details in an exclusive interview. 

Ultrafast MCE could go on to become a go-to treatment option for obstructive coronary artery disease, according to the authors of a new first-in-human clinical study.

Elucid's PlaqueIQ was trained to turn CCTA images into interactive 3D reports that help physicians visualize the presence of atherosclerosis.

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