Gamma probe
Gamma Probe
A Gamma Probe (pronounced: /ˈɡæmə proʊb/) is a handheld device used in nuclear medicine to detect and localize radioactive emissions from a patient's body, particularly during radioguided surgery.
Etymology
The term "Gamma Probe" is derived from the Greek letter gamma, which is often used to denote gamma rays, and the English word "probe", which refers to a device used to investigate or examine something.
Usage
The Gamma Probe is primarily used in sentinel lymph node biopsies, a procedure used to determine if cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. The probe is used to detect the gamma rays emitted by a radioactive tracer injected into the patient. This allows the surgeon to accurately locate and remove the sentinel lymph node for further examination.
Related Terms
- Gamma Rays: High-energy photons emitted by radioactive substances.
- Nuclear Medicine: A medical specialty involving the application of radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.
- Radioguided Surgery: A surgical technique that uses radioactive substances to guide the surgeon to the area of interest.
- Sentinel Lymph Node: The first lymph node to which cancer cells are most likely to spread from a primary tumor.
- Cancer: A group of diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Gamma probe
- Wikipedia's article - Gamma probe
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