An Approach that Might Use with or After Other Treatment Options

 

Nuclear imaging procedures are safest diagnostic imaging exams for the patient whose only receives an extremely small amount of a radiopharmaceutical just enough to provide sufficient diagnostic information. The amount of radiation from a nuclear imaging procedure is comparable or often times less than that of diagnostic X-ray everyone is continually exposed to radiation from natural and manmade sources. For most people, natural background radiation from space, rocks, soil and even carbon and potassium atoms in their body. The annual exposure is received from consumer products such as household smoke detectors, color television sets and luminous dial clocks is the remainder from X-rays and radioactive materials. It is used for medical diagnosis and therapy and with most nuclear imaging procedures, the patient receives about the same amount of radiation as that acquired in normal living. Because of their special training, the nuclear medicine physician is able to select the most appropriate examination for the patient's particular medical problem to avoiding any unnecessary radiation exposure. 

The benefits of nuclear imaging are a safe, painless and cost-effective way of gathering information that may otherwise be unavailable or require a more expensive and risky diagnostic test. One unique aspect on nuclear medicine imaging test is its extreme sensitivity to abnormalities in an organ's structure or function and as an integral part of patient care. The nuclear imaging is used in the diagnosis, management, treatment and prevention of serious disease for nuclear medicine imaging procedures often identify abnormalities very early stage. The progression of a disease long before some medical problems are apparent with other diagnostic test is an early detection that allows a disease to be treated early in its course. When there may be a better prognosis although nuclear imaging is commonly used for diagnostic purposes and has valuable therapeutic applications such as treatment of hyperthyroidism. The thyroid cancer to blood imbalances and any bony pain from certain types of cancer need a nuclear imaging procedure test because the radioactive material is introduced into the body by injection, swallowing or inhalation. 

Different tracers are used to study different parts of the body and the amount of tracer used is carefully selected to provide the least amount of radiation exposure to the patient but ensures an accurate test of nuclear medicine. A special camera like scintillation or gamma camera is used to take pictures of the body by detecting the tracer in the organ, bone or tissue being imaged. It records the information on a computer screen of nuclear imaging tests and not recommended for pregnant women because unborn babies have a greater sensitivity to radiation than children or adults. If pregnant or think that are pregnant the doctor may order a different type of diagnostic test which are given a small dose of radioactive material. Usually intravenously but sometimes orally that localizes in specific body organ system that a compound called a radiopharmaceutical or tracer that collects in the organ and gives off energy as gamma rays. The nuclear medicine has a gamma camera that detects the rays and works with a computer to produce images and measurements of organs and tissues.