![]() ![]() Images may be taken of the arms and underarms, legs and groins, or head, neck and chest, or other areas, depending on the site of the melanoma. Melanoma cancer patients - Two to five doses of radiotracer are injected into the skin or other tissue surrounding the site of the melanoma.The type of study you are having will determine the location of your injection and the number of scans performed. Tell the technologist if you have a fear of closed spaces before your exam begins. This is necessary to obtain the best quality images. In some cases, the camera may move very close to your body. While the camera is taking pictures, you will need to remain still for brief periods. You may need to change positions in between images. The camera may rotate around you or stay in one position. When imaging begins, the camera or scanner will take a series of images. Immediately after the injection, the gamma camera will take a series of images of the area of the body being studied. The radiotracer will be injected just beneath the skin, or sometimes deeper, using a very small needle. If necessary, a nurse or technologist will insert an intravenous (IV) catheter into a vein in your hand or arm. It measures the amount of radiotracer in an area of your body.ĭoctors perform nuclear medicine exams on outpatients and hospitalized patients. In SPECT, the gamma camera heads rotate around the patient's body to produce detailed, three-dimensional images.Ī computer creates the images using the data from the gamma camera.Ī probe is a small hand-held device resembling a microphone. Sometimes, the doctor will orient the gamma camera heads at a 90-degree angle over the patient's body. The patient lies on an exam table that slides in between two parallel gamma camera heads, above and beneath the patient. These are encased in metal and plastic, often shaped like a box, and attached to a round, donut-shaped gantry. It has radiation detectors called gamma camera heads. The gamma camera itself does not emit any radiation. The gamma camera records the energy emissions from the radiotracer in your body and converts it into an image. Nuclear medicine uses a special gamma camera and single-photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT) imaging techniques. Lymph nodes, which act like a filter for foreign bodies such as germs, viruses and pollen, are located along this network. The lymphatic system is a network of small channels similar to blood vessels that circulate the fluid (called lymph) and cells ( lymphocytes) of the immune system throughout the body. The camera and a computer produce pictures and supply molecular information. A special camera detects gamma ray emissions from the radiotracer. It accumulates in the area under examination. Or you may swallow it or inhale it as a gas, depending on the exam. You will usually receive the radiotracer in an injection. FDG is just one of many radiotracers in use or in development. This allows your doctor to detect disease before it may be seen on other imaging tests. This higher rate can be seen on PET scans. Cancer cells are more metabolically active and may absorb glucose at a higher rate. ![]() The most common radiotracer is F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), a molecule similar to glucose. They can also bind to specific proteins in the body. They accumulate in tumors or regions of inflammation. Radiotracers are molecules linked to, or "labeled" with, a small amount of radioactive material. These tests use radioactive materials called radiopharmaceuticals or radiotracers to help diagnose and assess medical conditions. Except for intravenous injections, it is usually painless. They can also show whether you are responding to treatment. This gives them the potential to find disease in its earliest stages. Nuclear medicine exams pinpoint molecular activity. These include cancer, heart disease, gastrointestinal, endocrine, or neurological disorders, and other conditions. Doctors use nuclear medicine to diagnose, evaluate, and treat various diseases. Nuclear medicine uses small amounts of radioactive material called radiotracers. Lymphoscintigraphy is a special type of nuclear medicine imaging that provides pictures called scintigrams of the lymphatic system. ![]()
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