Nuclear Medicine is the speciality that utilises unsealed radioisotopes in the form of radio-pharmaceuticals to investigate disorders of anatomy, physiology and patho-physiology for diagnosis and/or treatment of diseases. Nuclear Medicine procedures are used for diagnosis/treatment of many types of cancers, cardiac disease, endocrine & neurological disorders, etc.

Nuclear medicine imaging has special importance as it can detect the molecular level activity within the body which helps in identification of disease in its earliest stage and the metastasis growth in cancer.

In Nuclear Medicine procedure, the radio-pharmaceutical is injected in to blood stream or swallowed by the patient. The physiological nature of area being examined allows the accumulation of radio-pharmaceutical at the examination area. For diagnosis purpose, the gamma rays emitted from the radio isotope are detected by special detection devices (e.g. Gamma Camera, SPECT, PET) and images are reconstructed using computer algorithms. Radioisotopes such as Tc-99m, F-18, Tl-201, Ga-67 and Ga-68 are commonly used for diagnostic purpose. For therapeutic purpose, beta emitting radioisotopes are used which deliver localised radiation dose once radio-pharmaceutical accumulates at the area of interest. Radioisotopes such as I-131, Lu-177, Sm-153, Y-90, P-32 and Re-188 are commonly used for therapy.