Nuclear Medicine

A Nuclear Medicine Scan is the use of very small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose-and sometimes treat-disease. Nuclear Medicine can provide:

• Accurate images that help health-care professionals study organs and tissues;
• Valuable information about how organs and tissues work;
• Therapy-a way of fighting some diseases.

Because it helps save lives, Nuclear Medicine is an important medical tool that is considered:

• Safe. Nuclear medicine carries about the same risk as a common x-ray. Only tiny amounts of short-lived radioactive material are used.
• Effective. Nuclear medicine can help detect a wide variety of conditions, such as cancer, heart disease, arthritis and infection; and the sooner problems are found, the better the chances for successful treatment or cure.

A Nuclear Medicine Technologist is a trained health-care professional that will perform the test. He or she along with your physician will help you prepare for your test.