The Present State of Nuclear Medicine Practice in Japan — A Report of the 6th Nationwide Survey in 2007 —

Abstract

The Subcommittee of Japan Radioisotope Association on Survey of Nuclear Medicine Practice in Japan has performed a nationwide survey every five years since 1982. The 6th survey was performed in June 2007. The estimated total annual number of examinations was 1.41 million, 11.5% less than the previous survey (2002). The scintigraphy most frequently performed was bone (38%), followed by myocardium and brain perfusion scintigraphy. ¹⁸F-FDG-PET dramatically increased. ¹³¹I therapy for thyroid cancer and hyperthyroidism has been also increasing steadily, while the number of in vitro radioassays has been decreasing continuously since 1992.