Nuclear Medicine Clinics & Information

Anyone undergoing nuclear medicine therapy is essentially undergoing radiation therapy—only from the inside. This is because nuclear medicine uses so-called radionuclides for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. These radioactive particles help detect tumors or metastases.

Nuclear medicine drugs penetrate directly to the diseased cells. Using their unique properties, these radioactive particles then destroy the cells through the emission of specific radiation. The advantage: Healthy tissue is exposed only in specific areas—and nowhere near to the extent that occurs with conventional radiation therapy.

In nuclear medicine, radioactive particles are used for diagnosis or treatment. (Adobe Stock 381969837 ©natali_mis)

The history of nuclear medicine began around 1938, when radioactive iodine was first used to diagnose thyroid disorders. Four years later, the introduction of iodine-131 made the first therapeutic option available.

Much has changed in nuclear medicine since those days, but one thing has remained the same: thyroid diagnostics and therapy still account for a significant portion of the work in nuclear medicine today.

In addition, specialists in nuclear medicine also work in the fields of tumor diagnosis and treatment, vascular and cardiac diagnostics, and the imaging of bone and dementia-related diseases. Due to this broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic options, nuclear medicine is a highly interconnected specialty characterized by a high degree of interdisciplinarity.

Today, nuclear medicine specialists use so-called radioisotopes to specifically target and combat cancer cells in the body. Depending on the application, these radiopharmaceuticals are injected or administered via infusion and then typically travel with high precision to the cancer cells or, for example, to areas of bone metastases.

The radioisotopes used are mostly short-range emitters, meaning they are radioactive only within a very narrow area; thus, while they damage cancer cells, they have a less pronounced effect on healthy cells located farther away.

As a result, radiological treatment methods in nuclear medicine are, in some cases, more targeted than, for example, conventional chemotherapy with its systemically administered cytostatic drugs. Furthermore, the less harmful effects of radiopharmaceuticals on healthy cells result in fewer side effects in nuclear medicine, making the therapy more tolerable for patients and maintaining a certain level of quality of life despite life-threatening illness.

Another innovative application of nuclear medicine is three-dimensional imaging using positron emission tomography (PET) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT). Depending on the indication, the entire human body can be visualized “slice by slice.”

Special radiotracers make it possible to “highlight” certain structures and target tissues radiologically based on their specific metabolic activity, thereby making them even more visible. The images are high-resolution and reveal even the smallest changes.

These new methods in nuclear medicine offer significant advantages, particularly in the diagnosis of vascular diseases, tumors, and dementia. However, these methods are also significantly more expensive than, for example, conventional imaging techniques such as X-rays. For this reason, tomographs are usually found in specialized radiology clinics or treatment centers.

To be eligible to practice as a specialist in nuclear medicine after completing medical school, a five-year residency in nuclear medicine is required. This program culminates in the specialist certification exam.

In addition, the training regulations for the specialty of nuclear medicine stipulate a specific minimum number of nuclear medicine examinations and treatments that must be performed in order to be eligible to use the title “Specialist in Nuclear Medicine.” A qualification in radiation protection is also required to practice the profession.