Nuclear medicine is a branch of medicine and medical imaging that uses unsealed radioactive substances in diagnosis and therapy. These substances consist of radionuclides, or pharmaceuticals that have been labeled with radionuclides (radiopharmaceuticals). In diagnosis, radioactive substances are administered to patients and the radiation emitted is measured. The majority of these diagnostic tests involve the formation of an image using a gamma camera. Imaging may also be referred to as radionuclide imaging or nuclear scintigraphy. Other diagnostic tests use probes to acquire measurements from parts of the body, or counters for the measurement of samples taken from the patient. In therapy, radionuclides are administered to treat disease or provide palliative pain relief. For example, administration of iodine-131 is often used for the treatment of thyrotoxicosis and thyroid cancer.

Nuclear medicine imaging tests differ from most other imaging modalities in that the tests primarily show the physiological function of the system being investigated as opposed to the anatomy. In some centres, the nuclear medicine images can be superimposed on images from modalities such as CT or MRI to highlight which part of the body the radiopharmaceutical is concentrated in. This practice is often referred to as image fusion.

Nuclear medicine diagnostic tests are usually provided by a dedicated department within a hospital and may include facilities for the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals. The specific name of a department can vary from hospital to hospital, with the most common names being the nuclear medicine department and the radioisotope department.

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Statewide :: Pennsylvania :: The Doctor Job
Looking for a job in a big city? Even if you've heard that a market is "saturated", wecan help! Many job openings for physicians may be hidden and unavailable unless you knowwhere to
Statewide :: Virginia :: The Doctor Job
Looking for a job in a big city? Even if you've heard that a market is "saturated", we can help! Many job openings for physicians may be hidden and unavailable unless you know where to look. An excellent
Statewide :: Texas :: The Doctor Job
Looking for a job in a big city? Even if you've heard that a market is "saturated", we can help! Many job openings for physicians may be hidden and unavailable unless you know where to look. An excellent

pubmed: 0161-5505

Therapeutic Efficacy Evaluation of 111In-Labeled PEGylated Liposomal Vinorelbine in Murine Colon Carcinoma with Multimodalities of Molecular Imaging.
Chow TH, Lin YY, Hwang JJ, Wang HE, Tseng YL, Pang VF, Liu RS, Lin WJ, Yang CS, Ting G Therapeutic Efficacy Evaluation of 111In-Labeled PEGylated Liposomal Vinorelbine in Murine Colon Carcinoma with Multimodalities of Molecular Imaging. J Nucl Med. 2009 Dec;50(12):2073-81 Authors: Chow TH, Lin YY, Hwang JJ, Wang HE, Tseng YL, Pang VF, Liu RS, Lin WJ, Yang CS, Ting G In our previous studies using combined radioisotopes with chemotherapeutic liposomal drugs (i.e., (111)In-labeled polyethylene glycol (PEG)ylated liposomal vinorelbine) we have reported possible therapeutic efficiency in tumor growth suppression. Nevertheless, the challenge remains as to whether this chemotherapy has a therapeutic effect as good as that of combination therapy. The goal of this study was to investigate the real therapeutic effectiveness of 6 mol% PEG (111)In-vinorelbine liposomes via the elevation of the radiation dosage and reduction in the concentration of chemotherapeutic agents. METHODS: Murine colon carcinoma cells transfected with dual-reporter genes (CT-26/tk-luc) were xenografted into BALB/c mice. The biodistribution was estimated to determine the drug profile and targeting efficiency of (111)In-vinorelbine liposomes. Bioluminescence imaging and (18)F-FDG small-animal PET were applied to monitor the therapeutic response after drug administration. The survival in vivo was estimated and linked with the toxicologic and histopathologic analyses to determine the preclinical safety and feasibility of the nanomedicine. RESULTS: Effective long-term circulation of radioactivity in the plasma was achieved by 6 mol% PEG (111)In-vinorelbine liposomes, and this dose showed significantly lower uptake in the reticuloendothelial system than that of 0.9 mol% PEG (111)In-vinorelbine liposomes. Selective tumor uptake was represented by cumulative deposition, and the maximum accumulation was at 48 h after injection. The combination therapy exhibited an additive effect for tumor growth suppression as tracked by caliper measurement, bioluminescence imaging, and small-animal PET. Furthermore, an improved survival rate and reduced tissue toxicity were closely correlated with the toxicologic and histopathologic results. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that the use of 6 mol% PEG (111)In-vinorelbine liposomes for passively targeted tumor therapy displayed an additive effect with combined therapy, not only by prolonging the circulation rate because of a reduction in the phagocytic effect of the reticuloendothelial system but also by enhancing tumor uptake. Thus, this preclinical study suggests that 6 mol% PEG (111)In-vinorelbine liposomes have the potential to increase the therapeutic index and reduce the toxicity of the passively nanotargeted chemoradiotherapies. PMID: 19949027 [PubMed - in process]
Pretargeted Radioimmunotherapy of Pancreatic Cancer Xenografts: TF10-90Y-IMP-288 Alone and Combined with Gemcitabine.
Karacay H, Sharkey RM, Gold DV, Ragland DR, McBride WJ, Rossi EA, Chang CH, Goldenberg DM Pretargeted Radioimmunotherapy of Pancreatic Cancer Xenografts: TF10-90Y-IMP-288 Alone and Combined with Gemcitabine. J Nucl Med. 2009 Dec;50(12):2008-16 Authors: Karacay H, Sharkey RM, Gold DV, Ragland DR, McBride WJ, Rossi EA, Chang CH, Goldenberg DM Pancreatic cancer is a silent disease that most commonly presents in an already metastatic form. Current treatment options provide little survival benefit. Radiolabeled PAM4 IgG, a monoclonal antibody that recognizes a unique epitope associated with a mucin found almost exclusively in pancreatic cancer, has shown encouraging therapeutic effects in animal models and in early clinical testing ((90)Y-humanized PAM4 IgG, (90)Y-clivatuzumab tetraxetan). The studies reported herein examine a new pretargeting procedure for delivering therapeutic radionuclides. METHODS: We prepared a humanized, recombinant tri-Fab bispecific monoclonal antibody (bsmAb) (TF10) using specificity for targeting pancreatic cancer of PAM4 and another Fab binding to a hapten (histamine-succinyl-glycine [HSG]) and tested this in a pretargeting setting with a (90)Y-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetic acid-di-HSG-peptide (pretargeted radioimmunotherapy [PT-RAIT]). Nude mice bearing established Capan-1 human pancreatic cancer xenografts were given TF10 and then received the (90)Y peptide as a single bolus dose 19 h later, or the therapy cycle was fractionated weekly. Other studies examined different combinations with gemcitabine. RESULTS: PT-RAIT of 18.5 MBq ( approximately 50% of its maximum tolerated dose [MTD]) was as effective as the MTD of (90)Y-PAM4 IgG (5.55 MBq). Three monthly doses of 9.25 MBq of PT-RAIT combined with a monthly cycle of gemcitabine (3 weekly, 6-mg doses) significantly enhanced survival, compared with PT-RAIT alone. Adding gemcitabine as a radiosensitizer to 9.25 MBq of PT-RAIT enhanced objective responses. Weekly fractionation of the PT-RAIT, as compared with a single treatment, improved responses. CONCLUSION: PAM4-based PT-RAIT with (90)Y hapten peptide is an effective treatment for pancreatic cancer, with less toxicity than (90)Y-PAM4 IgG, in this model. Combinations with gemcitabine and dose fractionation of the PT-RAIT enhanced therapeutic responses. PMID: 19949026 [PubMed - in process]
SPECT in Acute Pulmonary Embolism.
Stein PD, Freeman LM, Sostman HD, Goodman LR, Woodard PK, Naidich DP, Gottschalk A, Bailey DL, Matta F, Yaekoub AY, Hales CA, Hull RD, Leeper KV, Tapson VF, Weg JG SPECT in Acute Pulmonary Embolism. J Nucl Med. 2009 Dec;50(12):1999-2007 Authors: Stein PD, Freeman LM, Sostman HD, Goodman LR, Woodard PK, Naidich DP, Gottschalk A, Bailey DL, Matta F, Yaekoub AY, Hales CA, Hull RD, Leeper KV, Tapson VF, Weg JG The purpose of this review was to evaluate the accuracy of SPECT in acute pulmonary embolism. Sparse data are available on the accuracy of SPECT based on an objective reference test. Several investigations were reported in which the reference standard for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism was based in part on the results of SPECT or planar ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) imaging. The sensitivity of SPECT in all but one investigation was at least 90%, and specificity also was generally at least 90%. The sensitivity of SPECT in 4 of 5 investigations was higher than that of planar V/Q imaging. The specificity of SPECT was generally higher, equal, or only somewhat lower than that of planar V/Q imaging. Most investigators reported nondiagnostic SPECT V/Q scans in no more than 3% of cases. Methods of obtaining SPECT images, methods of obtaining planar V/Q images, and the criteria for interpretation varied. The general impression is that SPECT is more advantageous than planar V/Q imaging. PMID: 19949025 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

pubmed: 1532-6551

Highlights of the 2009 Scientific Session of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology : Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 1-4, 2009.
Russell RR, Abbott BG, Arrighi JA, Blankstein R, Cohen MC, Faber TL, Mieres JH, Miller TD, Tilkemeier PL, Travin MI, Bax JJ Related Articles Highlights of the 2009 Scientific Session of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology : Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 1-4, 2009. J Nucl Cardiol. 2009 Dec 4; Authors: Russell RR, Abbott BG, Arrighi JA, Blankstein R, Cohen MC, Faber TL, Mieres JH, Miller TD, Tilkemeier PL, Travin MI, Bax JJ PMID: 19960288 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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