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nuclear medicine |
Also found in: Medical, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.03 sec. |
nuclear medicineMedical specialty using radioactive elements or isotopes for diagnosis and treatment of disease. A radioisotope is introduced into the body (usually by injection). The radiation it emits, detected by a scanner and recorded, reflects its distribution in different tissues and can reveal the presence, size, and shape of abnormalities in various organs. The isotopes used have short half-lives and decay before radioactivity causes any damage. Different isotopes tend to concentrate in particular organs (e.g., iodine-131 in the thyroid). Radioactive substances are also implanted to treat small, early-stage cancers. This yields a slow, continuous dose that limits damage to normal cells while destroying tumour cells. See also computerized axial tomography; diagnostic imaging; positron emission tomography; radiation therapy; radiology. nuclear medicine [′nü·klē·ər ′med·ə·sən] (medicine) A branch of medicine in which radioactive pharmaceuticals are used for imaging or other diagnostic studies. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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