what is 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. The amount of radioactive materials used in diagnosing illnesses depends on the needs of the person and range from a small amount to a large amount.
A nuclear medicine test uses small amounts of a special liquid known as a radiopharmaceutical to look at and to treat diseases. Nuclear medicine tests are safe and give doctors pictures of the human body using a special camera. Other radiology tests, such as MRI and CT scans, take detailed pictures of the body. Nuclear medicine scans can show changes taking place inside the body that other tests cannot.