NUCLEAR MEDICINE

Nuclear medicine is a branch of science in which radioactive and radioactive substances are used in the diagnosis of many diseases and imaging and treatment procedures are performed.  In the nuclear medicine department, where radioactive substances are used to evaluate organ functions, it has an important place in the early diagnosis of diseases and the organisation of appropriate treatment. Advanced imaging devices and techniques are widely used especially in oncology, cardiology, cardiovascular surgery and neurology departments. Nuclear medicine methods are also used in the diagnosis of thyroid, endocrine system, kidney, genital system, stomach, intestine, liver, biliary tract, cancer and many other diseases.

When pharmaceuticals, which are specially prescribed for each tissue and system, are used for diagnosis, they emit gamma rays and become visible to the gamma camera. Thus, it can be easily seen where and at what level the molecule labelled with radioactive material is. Radioactive substances given to the body for treatment emit beta rays. Thus, it is aimed to restore the patient's health by deforming unwanted tissues such as tumours in bones, tissues and organs.

Nuclear imaging methods use low amounts of radioactive material and radiopharmaceuticals. Pharmaceuticals are substances that bind to the relevant tissue when given to the body. When it binds with a radioactive substance, it is defined as a radiopharmaceutical and causes the emission of gamma rays due to radioactivity. These radiations, which are imaged by special cameras connected to a computer, provide detailed information about the part of the body being imaged. In order to diagnose, determine the severity and treat many types of cancer, heart health, endocrine, gastrointestinal and neurological disorders, as well as other abnormalities in the body, the location of molecular activity in the body is precisely determined by administering a small amount of radioactive material to the person. For this reason, many different diseases can be diagnosed and treated with nuclear medicine methods before the symptoms affecting the person appear.

Nuclear Medicine is used in the diagnosis of which diseases:
The patient is given a low level of radioactive material intravenously, by injection or orally. The drug is expected to reach the targeted organ or tissue and show uptake there. The tissue or organ is imaged with special cameras after the drug is absorbed into the area. The images transferred to the computer are evaluated by nuclear medicine specialists. Nuclear medicine applications are applied in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. Some of the diseases categorised according to departments are as follows:

Endocrinology (Goitre, salivary gland, etc.)
Heart and Vascular Diseases
Nervous system diseases
Circulatory system diseases
Respiratory system diseases
Skeletal and bone diseases
Urology; Kidney, bladder, prostate, ovaries
Stomach, intestine, gall bladder
Neurology; Nerve damage, vascular occlusions, Parkinson, Alzheimer, Stroke
Cancer; They are especially active in guiding cancer patients and in the fight against this disease. Thanks to the quality and image of PET/CT scans, the cells are visualised very clearly.

Due to the radioactive materials used with the imaging devices in the nuclear medicine department, people often express their concerns about high radiation exposure. However, there is no significant difference between the amount of radiation emitted by the devices in this unit and other imaging devices.  Radioactive substances administered intravenously to the body to ensure image quality are completely excreted from the body through urine and faeces within 6-12 hours.