NM

NM or Nuclear Medicine is a medical specialty involving the application of radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. In nuclear medicine procedures, radionuclides are combined with other elements to form chemical compounds, or else combined with existing pharmaceutical compounds, to form radiopharmaceuticals. These radiopharmaceuticals, once administered to the patient, can localize to specific organs or cellular receptors.

History

The development of nuclear medicine was initially associated with the use of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the 1950s. The field has since expanded to include a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Procedures

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.

Risks

The risks of the treatment are always weighed against the potential benefits for nuclear medicine therapeutic procedures. The risks are very low compared with the potential benefits.

See also

• Radiology
• Radiation therapy
• Medical imaging

References

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