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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Chest pain

Machine learning combined with PET/CT can predict heart attack risk

“We showed that risk prediction does not depend on cardiovascular risk scores, stenosis severity or CT calcium scoring," researchers said in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

January 12, 2022

RSNA partners with RadSite on FDG-PET/CT biomarker pilot program

The effort is focused on outpatient imaging centers and should bring more consistency to cancer treatment and therapy.

December 8, 2021
quality

Nuclear medicine leader says patient-first imaging providers must keep close eye on quality

That includes utilizing the most up-to-date protocols and equipment, among many other things, ASNC President Randall C. Thompson said.

November 2, 2021

Physicians support use of PET/CT scans in pregnant women with cancer, survey finds

Researchers say scans pose little risk to an unborn fetus but maintained doctors must weigh the benefits against potential risks.

October 28, 2021
Checklist

Top medical groups release new appropriate use criteria for PSMA-PET imaging

SNMMI is among the many organizations that collaborated on the updated guidance for imaging prostate cancer.

September 23, 2021
District of Columbia DC congress capitol hill

Lawmakers request records from FDA on Alzheimer’s drug approval, citing ‘apparent anomalies’

Part of their list includes info regarding the agency's move to approve Aduhelm for broader treatment indications than studied during clinical testing, a gripe similar to complaints cited by SNMMI.

September 3, 2021

Transformative prostate cancer therapy ‘should not be accepted’ without PET imaging

Two Stanford University experts made their case for using molecular imaging to select patients for 177-Lu-PSMA-617 in a new Journal of Nuclear Medicine editorial.

August 27, 2021

As regulators weigh revising nuclear medicine reporting rules, imaging advocates and others take sides

Researchers say extravasations should be more closely monitored and reported, while the ACR and SNMMI caution these events are rare and don't require intense scrutiny.

June 29, 2021
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Around the web

Cardiovascular Business
AI improves CT assessments, boosts care for real-world heart patients

Automated AI-generated measurements combined with annotated CT images can improve treatment planning and help referring physicians and patients better understand their disease, explained Sarah Jane Rinehart, MD, director of cardiac imaging with Charleston Area Medical Center.

Cardiovascular Business
AI predicts cardiovascular risk during CT scans—no invasive tests or contrast required

Two advanced algorithms—one for CAC scores and another for segmenting cardiac chamber volumes—outperformed radiologists when assessing low-dose chest CT scans. 

Radiology Business
Google teams with Bayer to address radiologist burnout via AI

"Gen AI can help tackle repetitive tasks and provide insights into massive datasets, saving valuable time," Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, said Tuesday. 

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