Nuclear Medicine Department— Where' Nuclear 'Differs from Conventional Perceptions

      When the name "Department of Nuclear Medicine" is mentioned, many people immediately conjure mental images of bulky, alien-like hazmat suits and the iconic mushroom clouds towering into the sky. Upon hearing about undergoing a nuclear medicine exam, people often develop fears of nightmarish scenarios involving harmful radiation exposure—a misunderstanding rooted in the conflation of medical isotopes with the destructive "nuclear" associatiobs linked to weapons or energy.

Upon entering the nuclear medicine department,

patients encounter walls plastered with glaring warning signs,

They shrink back involuntarily,

Their hearts surging with a string of questions

Let us explore the Department of Nuclear Medicine

At first glance, it seems similar to the Department of Radiology, as both use radiation technology for human imaging. However, their radiation sources differ significantly.

The Department of Radiology uses external devices to emit radiation, which penetrates the body to form images. This helps doctors observe the structure of tissues and organs, as seen in CT scans and conventional radiography (X-rays).

In contrast, nuclear medicine examinations involve injecting trace amounts of radioactive isotopes into the body. These isotopes emit radiation inside the body, which is detected by gamma cameras or PET scanners to generate images. Examples of such examinations include PET/CT, bone scans, and coronary angiography.

In nuclear medicine, radiation mainly comes from common radioactive isotopes in radiopharmaceuticals. For example, imaging agents marked with Fluorine-18（¹⁸F） and Technetium-99（^99mTcO₄） are given through veins, and therapeutic drugs marked with Iodine-131 are taken orally.

After entering the body, these isotopes decay naturally and give off rays for diagnosis and therapy. Notably, they weaken through the body's natural metabolism. Their half-lives vary from several hours to two or three days, until radiation levels are nearly zero.

Therefore , the public need not overly worry about radiation "accumulating" in clothes and feel compelled to discard them after tests.

Quantifying Radiation Health Effects

When discussing effective dose, it is essential to understand the unit used to measure radiation hazards: the millisievert (mSv). In fact, radiation is ubiquitous in our daily living and working environments—whether we are basking in sunlight, coming into contact with water and soil, consuming food and drink, or using mobile phones and tablets, we are exposed to a certain level of radiation.

Generally, an average person receives an effective radiation dose from the natural environment ranging between 2.4 mSv to 3.7 mSv per year. According to standard guidelines, as long as the annual radiation dose does not exceed 20 mSv, it will not have adverse effects on health.

Therefore, the radiation exposure from a single examination in the Department of Nuclear Medicine may be comparable to the cumulative radiation dose from using a mobile phone over a year, and its actual impact is far less significant than commonly perceived.

Introduction to the Department of Nuclear Medicine

Established in 1998, the Department of Nuclear Medicine at our hospital is the first of its kind in Wuwei. It has evolved into a clinical discipline that fully meets the scale and operational requirements of a top-tier tertiary-hospital-level. Currently, the department has become a comprehensive unit in our province, integrating nuclear medicine imaging diagnostics (SPECT, PET/CT), radionuclide therapy, in vitro diagnostic analysis, and a specialized thyroid outpatient clinic. The department primarily offers the following diagnostic and therapeutic services:

1. Radionuclide Therapy

  Utilizing radioactive nuclides for internal or external radiation therapy, including:

  - Iodine-131 therapy for hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer, and hyperfunctional adenomas.

  - Strontium-89 chloride therapy for bone metastases.

  - Strontium-90/Yttrium-90 therapy for skin hemangiomas and keloids.

  - Strontium-90/Yttrium-90 therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia.

  - Iodine-125 seed implantation for solid tumors.

2. In Vivo Imaging Diagnostics

  SPECT-CT examinations (ECT examinations), primarily used for assessing organ functions. Current examination items include: Whole-body bone imaging; Three-phase bone imaging; Thyroid imaging; Renal dynamic imaging; Myocardial perfusion imaging; Parathyroid imaging; Whole-body Iodine-131 imaging; Salivary gland imaging; Local tomography imaging, totaling over 11 SPECT/CT imaging services.

3. In Vitro Diagnostics

  Offering more than 60 testing items, including tumor markers and thyroid hormone tests, utilizing the most advanced German Roche electrochemiluminescence immunoassay analyzers and fully automated luminescence analyzers. These tests are unique in methodology and precision, and provide rapid and convenient reporting.

4. Thyroid Outpatient Clinic

  The department hosts a specialized thyroid outpatient clinic with extensive clinical experience in diagnosing and treating common and prevalent thyroid diseases, as well as various radionuclide therapies.

Department Head: Tao Xuemei

- Specialties: Thyroid diseases, various radionuclide therapies

- Address:

 - Room 223, 2nd Floor, Outpatient Building, Main Hospital Campus

 - Room 212, Outpatient Building, Heavy Ion Hospital Campus