Nukleidilääketieteellisiä

Nukleidilääketieteellisiä refers to the field of nuclear medicine, a medical specialty that uses radioactive tracers (radiopharmaceuticals) to diagnose and treat disease. These tracers emit radiation that can be detected by special scanners, such as PET (positron emission tomography) and SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography) cameras. The distribution and concentration of the tracers in the body provide information about organ function, blood flow, and metabolic activity.

In diagnostic nuclear medicine, radiopharmaceuticals are administered to patients, often intravenously, and then their distribution is imaged. For example, a common diagnostic procedure involves imaging the heart using a radiotracer to assess blood flow and identify areas of damage. Similarly, nuclear medicine can be used to evaluate brain function, detect bone metastases, and assess kidney function. The choice of radiotracer depends on the specific organ or tissue being studied and the type of information required.

Therapeutic nuclear medicine utilizes radioactive materials to treat diseases, primarily cancer. In this application, radiopharmaceuticals are designed to target and deliver a high dose of radiation directly to cancerous cells, while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues. For instance, radioactive iodine is a well-established treatment for thyroid cancer and hyperthyroidism. Other therapeutic uses include the treatment of certain types of liver cancer and prostate cancer using targeted radioligands. The field is continually evolving with the development of new radiopharmaceuticals and imaging techniques.