Abstract
Radiopharmaceuticals are radioactive drugs used to diagnose and treat disease with radiation. Following patient administration of a radiopharmaceutical, γ-camera images are made of its localization and distribution within specific organs. The images obtained provide information that the nuclear medicine physician can use to make a diagnosis. Dynamic imaging studies provide functional information through measurement of the rates of accumulation and removal of the radiopharmaceutical by the organ. Static images provide morphologic information regarding organ size, shape, and position, the presence of space-occupying lesions, and relative function. In general, nuclear medicine studies can be used to determine whether a disease is present, to evaluate the progress of disease following drug therapy, and to evaluate drug-induced toxicity. Additionally, radiopharmaceuticals can be used to arrest certain types of illness through the localized in vivo destruction of diseased tissue with radiation. Nuclear pharmacists prepare radiopharmaceuticals, perform quality control tests to assure their identity, quantity, and purity before patient administration, and provide professional advice on the safe and efficacious use of these agents.
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