Nuclear Medicine News and Research

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Nuclear medicine is a branch or specialty of medicine and medical imaging that uses radioactive isotopes (radionuclides) and relies on the process of radioactive decay in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. In nuclear medicine procedures, radionuclides are combined with other chemical compounds or pharmaceuticals to form radiopharmaceuticals.

Scientists report global shortage of radioactive isotopes for medical scans

Twenty million medical scans and treatments are done each year that require radioactive isotopes and scientists today described a global shortage of these life-saving materials that could jeopardize patient care and drive-up health care costs.

23 Aug 2010

Positron signs agreement with Covidien for automated compounding of radiopharmaceuticals

Positron Corporation, announced it has signed an agreement with Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, under which Covidien will provide technical assistance to Positron in connection with Positron's development of technology to automate the compounding of radiopharmaceuticals.

20 Aug 2010

SIR-Spheres safe, effective for patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases who have failed chemotherapy

Radioactive yttrium-90 labelled resin microspheres (SIR-Spheres; Sirtex Medical, Sydney, Australia) appear to be a safe and effective treatment for patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases who have failed available chemotherapy options, according to the final results of a prospective clinical multi-centre phase II trial conducted by the Italian Society of Locoregional Therapies in Oncology (SITILO) and published in the British Journal of Cancer.

20 Aug 2010

University of Maryland researchers link 3-D CT scans to standard ablation techniques

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore have developed a novel 3-D imaging approach that may improve the accuracy of treatment for ventricular tachycardia, a potentially life-threatening heart rhythm disorder that causes the heart to beat too fast. The new approach couples CT images with conventional ablation techniques to eliminate erratic electrical circuits in the heart that produce arrhythmias.

19 Aug 2010

Immunomedics, GE Healthcare collaborate to evaluate peptide labeling technologies

Immunomedics, Inc. and GE Healthcare, a business unit of General Electric Company, announced today that they have entered into a license and collaboration agreement for the evaluation of labeling technologies based on Immunomedics' patented F-18 peptide labeling method. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but GE Healthcare will fund all costs related to this collaboration.

18 Aug 2010

Molecular imaging helps physicians determine patient suitability for ICD therapy

A study published in the August Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM) finds that molecular imaging-a non-invasive imaging procedure-can identify high-risk patients with potentially life-threatening cardiovascular conditions and help physicians determine which patients are best suited for implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy.

11 Aug 2010

InHealth Imaging selects Intelerad Medical Systems' IntelePACS solution

Intelerad Medical Systems, a leader in medical imaging PACS and workflow solutions, today announced that InHealth Imaging, LLC has chosen IntelePACS as their first filmless PACS system, including the IntelePACS Breast Imaging module.

4 Aug 2010

RANZCR optimization training workshop enables radiation dose reduction in adult scans

Numerous radiology practices were able to significantly reduce the radiation dose associated with multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scans by participating in a one day dose optimization workshop provided by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists and supported by the local state health department, according to a study in the August issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

2 Aug 2010

Researchers develop search tool to extract data from patient's electronic medical record

Researchers at one of the top five hospitals in the United States have developed an advanced search tool called the Queriable Patient Inference Dossier (QPID) that helps radiologists and other physicians extract useful data from a patient's electronic medical record (EMR) in a timely and efficient manner, according to an article in the August issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

2 Aug 2010

Vanderbilt University Medical Center performs specialized PET/CT scan to locate cancerous tumors

Vanderbilt University Medical Center and affiliated VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System are the first in the U.S. to perform a specialized PET/CT scan to successfully locate the presence of tumors.

21 Jul 2010

Hybrid Linac-MR imaging system tracks cancer tumors in real time

Today, at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) in Philadelphia, a group of researchers from Stanford University will describe the latest developments toward their goal of integrating two existing medical devices -- medical linear accelerators, or "linacs," which produce powerful X-rays for treating cancer, and magnetic resonance imagers (MRIs), which are widely used to image tumors in the human body.

21 Jul 2010

Three different methods for accurately measuring breast density

Two new studies announced this week have tested three different methods for accurately measuring breast density -- the relative portion of tissue to fat in a woman's breasts and a strong indicator of breast cancer risk.

19 Jul 2010

An overview of AAPM annual meeting

AAPM is the premier organization in medical physics, a broadly-based scientific and professional discipline encompassing physics principles and applications in medicine and biology. Its membership includes medical physicists who specialize in research that develops cutting-edge technologies and board-certified clinical medical physicists who apply these technologies in community hospitals, clinics, and academic medical centers.

16 Jul 2010

Philadelphia to host 52nd annual meeting of American Association of Physicists in Medicine

Next week the city of Philadelphia will host the 52nd annual meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), the premier organization in medical physics, a broadly-based scientific and professional discipline encompassing physics principles and applications in medicine and biology.

16 Jul 2010

Highlights of AAPM 52nd meeting

The 52nd meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) convenes from July 18 - 22, 2010 in Philadelphia, PA.

14 Jul 2010

RAF and MWHC to open new Imaging Center for Women

The new Imaging Center for Women will open for patients on July 19 at 10 a.m., just after a ceremonial ribbon cutting. The three-story angular glass and brick building on Mary Washington Healthcare's campus is located between the community hospital and Cowan Boulevard. Staff will move from the current facility in the Tompkins Martin Building July 15 and 16 in preparation for the opening.

14 Jul 2010

Syntermed releases NeuroQ version 3.5 for analysis, image display of brain FDG-PET scans

At the Alzheimer's Association 2010 International Conference (ICAD) July 10-14 in Honolulu, HI, Syntermed, Inc. launched NeuroQ™ version 3.5, a nuclear medicine quantitative software platform for analysis and image display of brain FDG-PET scans. NeuroQ can increase physician accuracy in diagnosing and differentiating the many types of dementia, compared to visual interpretation alone of FDG-PET.

12 Jul 2010

Lantheus signs new manufacturing, supply agreement with MDS Nordion for Mo-99

Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., a worldwide leader in diagnostic medical imaging, today announced that it has signed a new manufacturing and supply agreement with MDS Nordion to purchase molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), the parent isotope of technetium-99m (Tc-99m). Mo-99 is used in Lantheus Medical Imaging's TechneLite® (Technetium Tc99m Generator) generators, which are sold throughout the world, and which produce Tc-99m, a medical isotope widely used in nuclear medicine imaging.

9 Jul 2010

MDS Nordion to supply Mo-99 on weekly basis to Lantheus Medical Imaging

MDS Nordion, a leading provider of products and services to the global health science market, today announced it has signed a new contract with its primary customer, Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc. for the supply of Molybdenum-99.

8 Jul 2010

SIR and 41 international societies issue first global statement defining interventional radiology

The Society of Interventional Radiology, with the support of 41 international societies representing 10,000 interventional radiology doctors, has issued the first global statement defining interventional radiology-one designed to benefit medical treatment for individuals. The statement addresses the evolution, impact and future direction of this minimally invasive specialty, emphasizing the worldwide availability of this specialized medical care.