2011 Volume 80 Issue 2 Pages 103-109
Nuclear medicine imaging enables us to investigate the spatial distribution of radionuclides in living bodies and their temporal variation. Using appropriate radiopharmaceuticals that are closely associated with the activity of cancers and tumors, it can be a sensitive and specific technique for detecting and diagnosing cancers and tumors. The instrumentation is based on the detection of externally emitted photons. Whereas gamma cameras record two-dimensional projection images, SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography) and PET (positron emission tomography) scanners provide us with three-dimensional tomographic images. A variety of technological innovations that will realize the full potential of nuclear medicine imaging are anticipated.
