Understanding Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicine is an advanced imaging technique using mildly radioactive drugs to highlight cells with more metabolic activity than normal. Each drug, called a radiotracer, temporarily attaches to a specific tissue, cell, or cellular activity.The tracers send out radiation that’s picked up by one of several specialized devices. Then the device translates the information into an image. Radiotracers are naturally flushed out of your body, so you don’t need to worry about ongoing radiation.

When would I need nuclear medicine?

Nuclear medicine can diagnose many conditions, but Dr. Riedl uses advanced tracers and PET/CT scans to find cancer and brain conditions in their earliest stages.PET scans detect energy from the radiotracer, while CT scans use X-rays to create 3D images. Combining the two reveals the tumors’ precise location, size, and shape.

What should I expect during nuclear medicine?

After Dr. Riedl gives you the radiotracer, you wait 30-90 minutes for the drug to reach the targeted area. During the PET/CT scan, you lie on a table that moves into the opening in the center of the scanning machine. You only need to stay still while PET and CT technologies scan your body. The information goes to a computer that produces images. To learn more about nuclear medicine, call imagingwest or request an appointment online today.