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What is nuclear medicine molecular imaging?

Nuclear medicine molecular imaging is a type of medical imaging that uses very small quantities of specially prepared radioactive material (radiotracer) to diagnose many diseases, including various cancers, heart and vascular diseases, bone maladies, and neurological disorders. Because nuclear medicine molecular imaging can detect and locate physiological activity within the body on molecular level, it can not only diagnose disease but also accurately determine a patient’s response to therapy much earlier than any other methods.

Nuclear medicine molecular imaging is typically painless and involves noninvasive medical procedures that allows clinicians to obtain accurate diagnosis and to evaluate medical conditions that otherwise could not be obtained.

What is Positron Emission Tomography– Computed Tomography (PET/CT) scan?

Positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracers are specifically designed molecules linked to (“labeled with”) radioactive atoms that can be detected in a PET scanner. Depending on the type of molecules, they might accumulate in tumors, bind to specific proteins in the body, or undergo some other physiological processes including sugar (glucose) metabolism, blood flow, oxygen use. The most frequently used PET radiotracer is fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) labeled with F-18 atoms. FDG is a molecule that resembles sugar (glucose). As sugar is fuel for cells it is frequently absorbed by cancer cells at a higher rate, as compared to normal tissue, because they are more metabolically active.

A PET scanner is an imaging device that can detect radiation (gamma rays) produced by the radioactive atoms in PET radiotracers. PET generate cross-sectional (tomographic) images of radiotracer distribution inside the patient’s body. The higher the radiotracer concentration in a given location in the body the brighter the image of this location. A CT scan is performed with a CT imaging machine attached to PET scanner just before PET scan. CT provides good quality tomographic images of patient’s anatomy. The CT images are superimposed on PET images and the combined PET/CT scans are displayed on computer monitors and read by doctors. Such fused PET/CT images allow to determine the anatomic location of regions with pathologic metabolic activity within the patient’s body and they deliver more precise diagnoses than the PET and CT scans read separately.

What is Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography– Computed Tomography (SPECT/CT) scan?

Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) radiotracers are specially designed molecules linked to (“labeled with”) radioactive atoms that can be detected in a SPECT scanner. Depending on the type of molecules, they might bind to specific proteins in the body, or specific cells (e.g. blood cells), and undergo physiological processes including metabolism and blood flow. Thus, SPECT can image important physiological processes. The typical uses of SPECT include diagnosing or monitoring cardiac and vascular diseases, bone ailments, brain disorders, inflammation and cancer.

A SPECT scanner is an imaging device that can detect radiation (gamma rays) produced by the radioactive atoms in SPECT radiotracers. SPECT generate cross-sectional (tomographic) images of radiotracer distribution inside the patient’s body. The higher the radiotracer concentration in a given location in the body the brighter the image of this location. A CT scan is performed with a CT imaging machine attached to SPECT scanner just after SPECT scan. CT provides good quality tomographic images of patient’s anatomy. The CT images are superimposed on SPECT images and the combined SPECT/CT scans are displayed on computer monitors and read by doctors. Such fused SPECT/CT images allow to determine the anatomic location of regions with pathologic metabolic activity within the patient’s body and they deliver more precise diagnoses than the SPECT and CT scans read separately.

 

 


If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our physicist, Dr. Andrzej Krol at (315) 464-4054.

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