Delaney Radiologists

Nuclear Medicine/PET

What are Nuclear Medicine and PET?

Exercise Cardiolite scan
Exercise Cardiolite scan

Nuclear medicine, or nuclear imaging, uses a small amount of a radioactive substance to produce two or three dimensional images of body anatomy and function. The diagnostic images produced by nuclear scans are used to evaluate a variety of diseases. PET scans are specialized nuclear medicine exams that highlight cancers and allow their detection, often when the evidence of cancer is not seen in any other way. PET scans are often combined with CT scans. We perform Nuclear Medicine exams at our hospitals and the Medical Mall.

What are some common uses of Nuclear Medicine?

Nuclear imaging and PET can assist the physician in diagnosing and monitoring:

  • cancer
  • coronary artery disease and abnormalities of heart contraction
  • pulmonary embolism and other lung disorders
  • bone metastasis and other bone disorders
  • kidney diseases and function
  • gastrointestinal bleeding
  • thyroid tumors and function
  • Alzheimer’s disease

How should I prepare for this procedure?

Usually, no special preparation is needed. However, if the exam is done to evaluate the stomach or if you are undergoing a PET scan, you may be asked to refrain from eating before the test. If the exam is done to evaluate the kidneys, you may need to drink plenty of water before the test. You will be given detailed instructions for all exams by your physician or by Nuclear Medicine staff personnel.

What can I expect during this procedure?

Although imaging time can vary, the exam generally takes 20 to 45 minutes.

  • A radiopharmaceutical, known as a tracer, is usually administered either intravenously or by mouth. What radiopharmaceutical is used and when the imaging will be done - immediately, a few hours later, or even several days after the injection, is dependent upon the type of exam you’re having.  
  • For most nuclear scans, you will lie down on a table and a nuclear imaging camera will be used to capture the image of the area being examined. The camera is either suspended over or below the exam table or in a large donut-shaped machine similar to a CT scanner. While the images are being obtained, you must remain as still as possible.
  • Most of the radioactivity is expelled out of your body in urine or stool. The rest simply disappears through over time.

What will I experience during the procedure?

You will likely be given the radioactive agent by way of a small IV needle. The various radioactive materials are painless and do not cause any sensations of heat or otherwise. You will not represent any hazard to other individuals during or after your exam. You will be asked to lie still on an exam table or bed during the scan You may hear low-level clicking or buzzing noises from the machine.

For more information on this topic, please visit www.Radiologyinfo.org.

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