Nearly 20 million nuclear medicine procedures are carried out each year in the United States alone to diagnose and treat cancers, cardiovascular disease, and certain neurological disorders. Many of the advancements in nuclear medicine have been the result of research investments made during the past 50 years where these procedures are now a routine part of clinical care. Although nuclear medicine plays an important role in biomedical research and disease management, its promise is only beginning to be realized. Advancing Nuclear Medicine Through Innovation highlights the exciting emerging opportunities in nuclear medicine, which include assessing the efficacy of new drugs in development, individualizing treatment to the patient, and understanding the biology of human diseases. Health care and pharmaceutical professionals will be most interested in this book's examination of the challenges the field faces and its recommendations for ways to reduce these impediments.
This book provides a review of image analysis techniques as they are applied in the field of diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine. Driven in part by the remarkable sophistication of nuclear medicine instrumentation and - crease in computing power and its ready and inexpensive availability, this is a relatively new yet rapidly expanding field. Likewise, although the use of nuclear imaging for diagnosis and therapy has origins dating back almost to the pioneering work of Dr G. de Hevesy, quantitative imaging has only recently emerged as a promising approach for diagnosis and therapy of many diseases. An effort has, therefore, been made to place the reviews provided in this book in a broader context. The effort to do this is reflected by the inclusion of introductory chapters that address basic principles of nuclear medicine instrumentation and dual-modality imaging, followed by overview of issues that are closely related to quantitative nuclear imaging and its potential role in diagnostic and therapeutic applications. A brief overview of each chapter is provided below. Chapter 1 presents a general overview of nuclear medicine imaging physics and instrumentation including planar scintigraphy, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET). Nowadays, patients’ diagnosis and therapy is rarely done without the use of imaging technology. As such, imaging considerations are incorporated in almost every chapter of the book. The development of dual-modality - aging systems is an emerging research field, which is addressed in chapter 2.
Medical imaging is crucial in a variety of medical settings and at all levels of health care. In public health and preventive medicine as well as in both curative and palliative care, effective decisions depend on correct diagnoses. This edition addresses the most current needs and offers guidance on clinical practice, radiation safety and patient protection, human resource development and training required for the overall practice of nuclear medicine.
This work has true international scope, being a unique European/American joint venture that focuses on the state of the art in both diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclide methodology. Pertinent clinical applications are emphasized rather than attempting to cover everything included in the several large comprehensive texts available in our field. This "practical" approach should make it an essential guide to nuclear medicine physicians, technologists, students and interested clinicians alike.
From first principles to current computer applications, Monte Carlo Calculations in Nuclear Medicine, Second Edition: Applications in Diagnostic Imaging covers the applications of Monte Carlo calculations in nuclear medicine and critically reviews them from a diagnostic perspective. Like the first edition, this book explains the Monte Carlo method and the principles behind SPECT and PET imaging, introduces the reader to some Monte Carlo software currently in use, and gives the reader a detailed idea of some possible applications of Monte Carlo in current research in SPECT and PET. New chapters in this edition cover codes and applications in pre-clinical PET and SPECT. The book explains how Monte Carlo methods and software packages can be applied to evaluate scatter in SPECT and PET imaging, collimation, and image deterioration. A guide for researchers and students developing methods to improve image resolution, it also demonstrates how Monte Carlo techniques can be used to simulate complex imaging systems.
Nuclear medicine is an important component of modern medicine. This easy-to-use book is designed to acquaint readers with the basic principles of nuclear medicine, the instrumentation used, the gamut of procedures available, and the basis for selecting specific diagnostic or therapeutic procedures and interpreting results. After an introductory chapter on the history, technical basis, and scope of nuclear medicine, a series of chapters are devoted to the application of nuclear medicine techniques in the different body systems. In addition, the use of nuclear medicine methods within oncology is carefully examined, covering diagnosis, staging, assessment of treatment response, radiotherapy planning, and the sentinel node technique. The book concludes with a chapter devoted to nuclear medicine therapy. This practical and up-to-date guide to nuclear medicine is ideal for beginners and will also help professionals who need to retrieve useful information rapidly.
In the development of many medical technologies the beginning is characterised by an emphasis on the basic scientific principles of the technology and the optimisa tion of the functional aspects of the technology. As a technology matures there is a tendency for the underlying principles to be forgotten as the dinical applications begin to develop and the focus moves to an understanding of the dinical applica tion. This maturity brings with it new challenges for those involved in the use of the technology. An acceptance of the methodology may lead to a scaling back of the ba sic training of staff into the fundamentals of the techniques and lead to a lack of questioning as to those issues which lead to the optimisation in dinical applications. This lack of basic training may ultimately lead to a stifling of research and develop ment of the technology as a whole as trained staff becomes a scarce commodity. Nudear medicine is no exception to this development cyde. As a medical special ty the discipline has matured. The basic imaging technology has become more reli able in everyday use requiring less input from scientific staff. Clinical procedures have become protocols which are often followed without due understanding of the basic principles underlying the imaging procedure. This is clearly demonstrated when new radiopharmaceuticals are introduced into the market place.
This book was conceived by Professor K.H. Ephraim, the former director of the Institute for Nuclear Medicine of the University Hospital of Utrecht. Unfortunately, due to a serious illness, he was not able to finish the work he started. He is, however, very pleased to know that the book is, nevertheless, being published. In principle the volume consists of two parts. The first is dedicated to basic science and technology in nuclear medicine. It provides the data which are necessary to a clear understanding of the possibilities and limitations of investigations which make use of radioactive materials. The second part of the book covers those disciplines in medicine in which nuclear medicine can be of help in solving certain clinical problems. Each chapter can be read separately, even without thorough knowledge of the first part of the book. The contributors to this book come from both Europe and North America. Each of them has written his chapter out of long-standing personal interest in his particular field of nuclear medicine. This book will be of value to a wide variety of professionals. It is of interest not only to clinicians of various specialties, but also to diagnostic professionals, i.e. radiologists and nuclear medicine clinicians. Last but not least it will be of use to physicians in training.
This book is an essential guide for all practitioners. The emphasis throughout is on the practice of nuclear medicine. Primarily aimed at the radiologist, physician, physicist or technologist starting in nuclear medicine, it will also appeal to more experienced practitioners who are keen to stay up-to-date. The practical approach with tables as "recipes" for acquisition protocols means it is essential for any departmental shelf. 3rd edition expanded - now covering areas of development in nuclear medicine, such as PET and other methods of tumour imaging, data processing. All illustrations are up-to-date to reflect current standards of image quality.
Covering both the fundamentals and recent developments in this fast-changing field, Essentials of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, 7th Edition, is a must-have resource for radiology residents, nuclear medicine residents and fellows, nuclear medicine specialists, and nuclear medicine technicians. Known for its clear and easily understood writing style, superb illustrations, and self-assessment features, this updated classic is an ideal reference for all diagnostic imaging and therapeutic patient care related to nuclear medicine, as well as an excellent review tool for certification or MOC preparation. - Provides comprehensive, clear explanations of everything from principles of human physiology, pathology, physics, radioactivity, radiopharmaceuticals, radiation safety, and legal requirements to hot topics such as new brain and neuroendocrine tumor agents and hybrid imaging, including PET/MR and PET/CT. - Covers the imaging of every body system, as well as inflammation, infection and tumor imaging; pearls and pitfalls for every chapter; and pediatric doses and guidelines in compliance with the Image Gently and Image Wisely programs. - Features a separate self-assessment section on differential diagnoses, imaging procedures and artifacts, and safety issues with unknown cases, questions, answers, and explanations. - Includes new images and illustrations, for a total of 430 high-quality, multi-modality examples throughout the text. - Reflects recent advances in the field, including updated nuclear medicine imaging and therapy guidelines • Updated dosimetry values and effective doses for all radiopharmaceuticals with new values from the 2015 International Commission on Radiological Protection • Updated information regarding advances in brain imaging, including amyloid, dopamine transporter and dementia imaging • Inclusion of Ga-68 DOTA PET/CT for neuroendocrine tumors • Expanded information on correlative and hybrid imaging with SPECT/CT • New myocardial agents • and more. - Contains extensive appendices including updated comprehensive imaging protocols for routine and hybrid imaging, pregnancy and breastfeeding guidelines, pediatric dosages, non-radioactive pharmaceuticals used in interventional and cardiac stress imaging, and radioactivity conversion tables.
