Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicine (also called molecular imaging) includes positron emission computed tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. Nuclear imaging is achieved by injecting small amounts of radioactive material (radiopharmaceuticals) into patients before or during their scan. These can use sugars or chemical traits to bond to specific cells. The radioactive material is taken up by cells that consume the sugars. The radiation emitted from inside the body is detected by photon detectors outside the body. Computers take the data to assemble images of the radiation emissions. Nuclear images may appear fuzzy or ghostly rather than the sharper resolution from MRI and CT.  But, it provides metabolic information at a cellular level, showing if there are defects in the function of the heart, areas of very high metabolic activity associated with cancer cells, or areas of inflammation, data not available from other modalities. These noninvasive imaging exams are used to diagnose cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, bone disorders and other disorders. 

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Nuclear medicine leader calls on physicians to remain ‘vigilant’ patient-first imagers

Pressures from payers and other groups may hamper providers, but ASNC President Randall C. Thompson, MD, said patients must always come first.

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Nuclear medicine group discovers payment rate error with PET imaging agent

SNMMI said it is working with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the manufacturer of Cerianna to remedy the problem.

Premier nuclear medicine journal celebrates 60th anniversary with special issue

Beginning in the 1960s, the new edition traces such milestones as the invention of the Anger camera and the development of positron emission tomography.

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CCTA is a safe, effective alternative to SPECT in patients with stable chest pain

The findings come by way of the RESCUE Trial, which included more than 1,000 participants from 44 different sites.

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Top nuclear imaging group ‘strongly disagrees’ with Humana’s decision to refuse coverage for PET/CT

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging said the move denies patients access to potentially lifesaving technologies.

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Incident at nuclear medicine facility leads to Mo-99 shortage

The quality issue could force more than 12,000 patients into canceled exams.

Attralus completes financing to validate pan-amyloid nuclear imaging agent

Biopharmaceutical firm Attralus has completed a $25 million Series A financing designed to further validate its AT-01 pan-amyloid radiotracer for PET/CT.

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New radiation-dose estimation process moves nuclear medicine closer to customized cancer therapy

Researchers used a single SPECT/CT scan performed post-therapy to estimate how much radiation a patient’s tumor and at-risk organs will absorb.

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