Role of nuclear medicine in cancer, cardiovascular and neurological diseases

Nuclear medicine is a branch of medicine which deals with the recording of radiations emitted from within the body by introduction of radioactive material in the body. The emitted radiations are made to form images by the use of special camera. This technique is used to diagnose and determine the severity of or treat a variety of diseases, including many types of cancers, heart disease, neurological disorders, etc. These procedures are noninvasive and usually painless medical tests that help physicians diagnose and evaluate medical conditions. The radioactive materials used are called as radiopharmaceuticals radiotracers. Nuclear medicine procedures are able to pinpoint molecular activity within the body. They offer the potential to identify disease in its earliest stages. Special camera or imaging devices used in nuclear medicine include the gamma camera and single-photon emission-computed tomography. Nearly one-third of the practice caters to cardiac issues, one-third for cancer of all types and one-third for other diseases such as: brain, Alzheimer's, kidney, infectious, and benign bone. This technique is yet being underutilized because of certain limitations.