Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear medicine includes both nuclear medicine treatment, as well as medical imaging. The creation of nuclear medicine occurred from a collaboration between several unique fields of academic study. Both forms of nuclear medicine utilize radioactive material to either treat or diagnose a variety of diseases. The field of medicine has advanced dramatically due to the discovery of nuclear medicine and the range of possibilities it offers.
* Nuclear medical imaging refers to the infusion of radiopharmaceuticals that react in specific ways to different human organs and tissue. Unlike a common x-ray which searches for anatomical irregularities, nuclear medicine imaging allows a doctor to view the functioning capability of an organ or tissue. The advantages to medicine are numerous, often allowing a physician to detect issues before any physical symptoms arise. Since the radiopharmaceutical reacts predictably within the human body the active presence of disease will alter the way the body processes the compound.
* After the radiopharmaeceutical is administered into the body, a technician will capture an image of the emissions and its effect on the targeted site. The process of either taking the radiopharmacetucial orally or intravenously is generally painless and non-invasive. Several fields of medicine utilize nuclear medicine imaging to detect anything from infection to brain irregularities. External detectors are able to capture cellular normality and physiology from nuclear medicine due to radioactive decay which is a phenomenon that describes the way the material emits radiation and particles.
* Nuclear medicine therapy utilizes radiopharmaceuticals to treat certain types of cancer and diseases. Specific types of medicine are utilized to treat different ailments as they react to each body part differently. The radiopharmaceutical releases a short emission of radiation to target specific areas, hopefully minimizing any adverse effects to surrounding tissue. These procedures are generally performed on an outpatient basis, as the nuclear based medicine poses little risk to other people and the side effects are generally manageable. The medicine therapy is generally used in conjunction with other treatment measures and requires pre-patient counselling so the patient understands the risks and benefits of the medicine.
* As the science of medicine expands, doctors will be able to target smaller molecular levels more acutely. These expected advancements in nuclear medicine will allow for imaging of smaller processes and the safer treatment of cancer or disease.
Statistics show constant increases in cancer rates and the future of treatment relies of nuclear medicine. The possibilities for these materials to revolutionize modern medicine are just being recognized and will only increase in the future.
