According to Zaidi (2006), nuclear medicine is a specialized multidisciplinary division of modern medicine that utilizes the concept of radioactivity in effecting medical procedures such as imaging, diagnosis, and treatment. Basically, a radioactive substance that produces a controlled amount of radiation is introduced into the human body. These radioactive substances are medically referred to as Radiopharmaceuticals which are introduced to the human body by either swallowing or injection (Kowalsky & Perry, 1987). A radiopharmaceutical is essentially made of two parts, a pharmaceutical part, and a radioactive part. The pharmaceutical segment is designed such that it guides the radiopharmaceuticals to a specific part of the body where the disease could be located. The radioactive part of the radiopharmaceutical emits radiation. While inside the human body, the radiopharmaceutical produces radiation. These radiations are then monitored from outside the body using radiation cameras, for example, a Gamma camera, used to detect gamma rays. If the intention of the medical procedure is to diagnose a specific organ, the radiation will enable an in-depth image of the organ. There are two types of radiation that are most widely used in diagnosis and imaging that are gamma rays and beta rays (Zaidi, 2006). They are the most preferred, not only because of their high penetrative characteristics (has sufficient energy to escape from the body) but also the fact that they cannot ionize matter (the human body) when emitted because they lack charge and mass. Gamma radiation in itself is the single most used radiation in the nuclear medicine industry, for instance, radioisotopes like technetium-99 are the single most used isotope in diagnosis and imaging. Additionally, gamma radiation is used in the treatment of malignant growth. Cancerous cells are most sensitive to destruction by radiation (Weet, 1951). As a result, some cancerous growths can be conditioned or completely eradicated by irradiating the part having the growth. This kind of radiation can be administered internally; a process known as Internal radionuclide therapy, here, a small radionuclide is planted on the malignant tissue. Nuclear medical processes are often delicate, therefore, a patient is always required to observe standard precautionary preparations for the process. There are different preparations for every nuclear medical process, but generally, a patient that is yet to take part in any nuclear medical process is advised not to take any food or drink. The patient may also be expected to refrain from taking any medication prior to the tests. Also, the patient should wear loose, comfortable clothes and avoid jewelry. More importantly, the patient should discuss with the doctor any recent illnesses, medical conditions, and allergies. Nuclear medical diagnosis is one of the most successful, and widely recommended disciplines of nuclear medicine. Its signature characteristic is providing multidimensional images of internal body organs such as the vascular system and the brain. This is done by means of “computerized anatomic imaging using computed tomography (CT), functional imaging of positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)” (Capriotti, 2006). Additionally, this extended the usefulness and precision of nuclear medicine imaging and diagnosis in general (Capriotti, 2006) . With the new combined-modularity procedures that combine PET scans through computed X-ray tomography (CT) scans a more detailed multidimensional image that is a co-registration of the two images (PETCT) is produced. Hence, leading to a more detailed diagnosis. As an evaluation of PET scan, it has contributed significantly in the detection and staging of rapidly multiplying cancer cells (Rigo, 1996) . Cancer starts to develop when cells begin to multiply uncontrollably, as these cells divide uncontrollably, they consume a larger amount of glucose compared to normal cells; this is as a result of a shift in energy production. Using Fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) as a radiopharmaceutical, it is possible to distinguish cancer from normal cells based on glucose consumption. The FDG will be in high concentration in the regions that, have abnormal mitochondrion activity. PET scan will indicate clusters images of different shapes, hence this is used in staging and establishing the size of the malignant tissues. With the increasing use of PET scan and FDGs, there are plenty of evidence that is used as a reference on the management and monitoring of cancer patients. This demonstrates the main advantage of nuclear medicine, its ability to examine or else complex procedures in a simple and much safer way. Also, nuclear medicine with its enhanced capabilities increases greater chances of doctors detecting serious illnesses and conditions much earlier before they get to a critical point. More importantly, Nuclear medicine has greatly expanded treatment possibilities for patients that suffer from serious ailments such as cancer by a form of chemotherapy or radiation treatment (Rigo, 1996). On the other hand, one of the main limitations of nuclear medicine is that it is extremely expensive; an enormous amount of financial resources is required, not only for the acquisition of the equipment but also for the operations and maintenance of the medical practice. There are limited experts that comfortably and effectively handle these tests and treatments. Also contributing to the expense of this medical practice is the research, it requires an enormous amount of resources and government support to create the radioactive isotopes needed for this kind of practice. In conclusion, nuclear medicine has proven to be a dependable solution in the diagnosis and cure of modern illnesses such as cancer and in the evaluation and monitoring of internal body organs. It is, therefore, imperative that these technologies be fully integrated into society, through social and governmental support, to enable these services available.
References
Capriotti, G. C. (2006). Nuclear medicine imaging of diabetic foot infection: results of a meta-analysis. Nuclear medicine communications, 757-764.
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Kowalsky, R, J. and Perry, J.R. (1987). Radiopharmaceuticals in nuclear medicine practice. Norwalk, CT: Appleton and Lange.
Rigo, P. P.-W. (1996). Oncological applications of positron emission tomography with fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose. European journal of nuclear medicine, 23(12), 1641-1674.
Weet, W. H. (1951). The uses of nuclear disintegration in the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumor. New England Journal of Medicine, 875-878.
Zaidi, H. (2006). Quantitative analysis in nuclear medicine imaging. New York: Springer.
