Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging

Unlike an X-ray, which uses radiation to scan a body, nuclear medicine uses radiation from a person’s body to detect things on a microscopic level, giving providers detailed pictures of what’s happening at the molecular and cellular level. 

Patients take a tracer by mouth or intravenously that sends small doses of radiation. Depending on the scan, cancer might absorb more or less of the tracer than normal tissues, revealing a tumor as a “hot spot” (increased cell activity) or a “cold spot” (less cell activity). 

PET-CT scans are often used to diagnose cancer, pinpoint tumors, plan treatment or see how well treatment is working.

Our areas of focus include:

• PET-CT and other scans for lesion detection of neuroendocrine tumors
• Multi-Gated Acquisition (MUGA) scans to evaluate the left and right ventricles of the heart 
• Noninvasive images of neuroendocrine and other tumors expressing somatostatin receptors
• Protascint scans to detect if prostate cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, adjacent tissue or bone
• Xofigo (Ra 223 dichloride) injections to treat prostate cancer resistant to medical or surgical treatments
• Skeletal Scintigraphy or bone scans to detect the spread of metastatic cancer
• Thyroid scans using Iodine-123 or Iodine-111 for the evaluation of thyroid cancers
• Zevalin regimen to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Faculty