Nuclear Medicine

Diagnostic/ Nuclear Medicine

Diagnostic/ Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear Medicine

Tumour imaging is an integral part of cancer management. Our expert team of Nuclear Medicine Physicians and Technologists have the vast experience in that. Here, we give the commitment of delivering the quality images and interpretation, for the best outcome of your illness.

The department of Nuclear Medicine provides state-of-the-art diagnostic and radionuclides therapeutic facilities. Our philosophy is to provide the best image quality with the most updated technology. We recently installed a ‘DIGITAL PET-CT’ scanner in our department in 2022, which provides the finest image quality. Further, our optimum FDG and CT dose with the standardized acquisition protocol is of immense help in obtaining the best images with less radiation dose. This motto is also highlighted by the International Atomic Energy agency many times again and again. The department is manned by qualified and well-experienced medical and technical personnel and radiation safety officers. All the medical & technical staff members have qualifications certified by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India. They are committed to performing their duties to the highest level of clinical competence and radiation safety.

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How Does PET-CT Work?

Before the scan, the radiotracer is injected into the patient’s vein. A radiotracer consists of a radioactive isotope and a biomolecule, such as glucose. Later, the patient is asked to wait for about 45–60 minutes for the radiotracer to be absorbed by the body cells. Once the radiotracer is injected, it reaches those regions in the body that utilize glucose. Tumor cells, for instance, absorb more glucose as they need the energy to divide rapidly. During the imaging, we will be tracking the radioactive emissions from the radioactive isotope that is tagged with glucose. Those areas with increased glucose or radiotracer absorption appear as bright spots. That said, even brain cells and kidney cells absorb more glucose; therefore, for a definitive diagnosis, it is important to combine a PET scan with a CT scan.

A special camera is used to detect these radioactive emissions and produce images of the metabolic activity of the scanned region. A CT scan that is carried out simultaneously captures the X-ray images of internal organs from different angles.

A computer then combines the data from PET and CT scans to produce 3-dimensional images of internal organs. Any abnormalities, like tumors, can be easily and accurately detected through a PET-CT scan.

Advantages of PET-CT Scan

PET-CT imaging has numerous advantages:

Through enhanced accuracy, PET-CT supports the right diagnosis and, thereby, the right clinical decisions.
PET-CT helps specialists detect cancers in their early stages, when they can be treated with positive outcomes.
By providing highly reliable information about the lesions or abnormal masses, PET-CT imaging helps in effective treatment planning.
PET-CT imaging also helps assess the patient’s response to the treatment given.
In some cases, PET-CT can help prevent unnecessary invasive procedures and retests by providing helpful, comprehensive molecular and structural data at once.
This imaging process is non-invasive, and in most cases, there will be no downtime or recovery required for the patients after the test.
PET-CT imaging also plays an important role in radiotherapy planning.