What are examples of nuclear medicine?

Nuclear medicine procedures are used in diagnosing and treating certain illnesses. These procedures use radioactive materials called radiopharmaceuticals. Examples of diseases treated with nuclear medicine procedures are hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer, lymphomas, and bone pain from some types of cancer.

Is chemotherapy a type of nuclear medicine?

American Cancer Society: “Nuclear Medicine Scans for Cancer,” “Radioactive Iodine (RadioIodine) Therapy for Thyroid Cancer.” Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: “What is Radioimmunotherapy?” Mayo Clinic: “Brachytherapy.” University of Rochester Medical Center: “Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Radioimmunotherapy (RIT).”

Is MRI radiology or nuclear medicine?

MRI uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to produce high-quality, detailed images of internal body structures. This is a form of non-ionizing radiation. Nuclear medicine uses an ionizing radioactive tracer, usually injected into the blood, to produce images that show function of internal organs.

What can radiotherapy be used for?

Radiation therapy is used to treat cancer and ease cancer symptoms. When used to treat cancer, radiation therapy can cure cancer, prevent it from returning, or stop or slow its growth. When treatments are used to ease symptoms, they are known as palliative treatments.

What type of radiation is used in nuclear medicine?

Nuclear medicine uses radioactive materials called radiopharmaceuticals or radiotracers. Your doctor typically injects this material into your bloodstream. Or you may swallow it or inhale it as a gas. The material accumulates in the area under examination, where it gives off gamma rays.

What is the nuclear radiation?

Nuclear radiation (also called ionising radiation) is energy released as high-speed charged particles or electromagnetic waves. Radiation can come from many sources, both natural and manufactured. All living things are constantly exposed to low doses of radiation from rocks, sunlight and cosmic rays.

Is radiation considered a drug?

Systemic radiation therapy uses radioactive drugs (called radiopharmaceuticals or radionuclides) to treat certain types of cancer, including thyroid, bone, and prostate cancer. These are liquid drugs made up of a radioactive substance. They can be given by mouth or put into a vein; they then travel throughout the body.

Are magnetic fields used in nuclear medicine?

Nuclear medicine uses an ionizing radioactive tracer, usually injected into the blood, to produce images that show function of internal organs. MRI imaging is accomplished by placing the patient within the magnetic field and using specially designed coils that transmit radiofrequency waves into the patient’s body.