What is Nuclear Medicine?

Nuclear medicine is a medical specialty that uses safe, painless, and cost effective techniques both to image the body and treat disease. Nuclear medicine imaging is unique in that it documents organ function and structure, in contrast to diagnostic radiology, which is based upon anatomy. It is a way to gather medical information that may otherwise be unavailable, require surgery, or necessitate more expensive diagnostic tests.

As an integral part of patient care, nuclear medicine is used in the diagnosis, management, treatment, and prevention of serious disease. Nuclear medicine imaging procedures often identify abnormalities very early in the progression of a disease -long before some medical problems are apparent with other diagnostic tests. This early detection allows a disease to be treated early in its course when there may be a more successful prognosis.

How is the Procedure Performed? 

Nuclear medicine uses very small amounts of radioactive materials or radiopharmaceuticals to diagnose and treat disease. Radiopharmaceuticals are substances that are attracted to specific organs, bones, or tissues. The radiopharmaceuticals used in nuclear medicine emit gamma rays that can be detected externally by special types of cameras (called gamma cameras). These cameras work in conjunction with computers used to form images that provide data and information about the area of body being imaged. The amount of radiation from a nuclear medicine procedure is comparable to that received during a diagnostic x-ray.

Where is Nuclear Medicine Performed?

Nuclear medicine is performed at the four Calgary Health Region urban sites, including Foothills Medical Centre, Rockyview General Hospital, Peter Lougheed Centre and the Alberta Children's Hospital.

Where can I find out more information about my test?

Patient Information Sheets are available for most Nuclear Medicine Tests.  Clink on any specific Nuclear Medicine test listed below to view this information in PDF format, or contact your referring physician.

Bone Tests

Circulation and Respiratory Tests

Endocrine Tests

Gastrointestinal Tests

Liver Tests

Renal Tests

Tumor and Infection Tests

PET/CT Information

Positron Emission Tomography or PET imaging, which is most often combined with CT imaging, is a very specific type of nuclear medicine exam that requires special equipment.  The Calgary Health Region DI Department will operate a combined PET/CT scanner at the Foothills Medical Centre as of Spring 2005.   Please check out our PET/CT services page for more information.