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Questions and Answers
What is the primary purpose of fluorine-18 in PET scanning?
What is the primary purpose of fluorine-18 in PET scanning?
What is the result of the positron emission decay in PET scanning?
What is the result of the positron emission decay in PET scanning?
What is the purpose of a PET/CT scanner?
What is the purpose of a PET/CT scanner?
What is a primary concern for radiation safety in PET/CT scanners?
What is a primary concern for radiation safety in PET/CT scanners?
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Why is shielding necessary in PET/CT scanners?
Why is shielding necessary in PET/CT scanners?
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What is the role of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in PET scanning?
What is the role of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in PET scanning?
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What is a consideration for radiation protection in PET/CT scanners?
What is a consideration for radiation protection in PET/CT scanners?
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What is the advantage of a well-designed facility for PET/CT scanners?
What is the advantage of a well-designed facility for PET/CT scanners?
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What is the purpose of shielding in a PET/CT scanner facility?
What is the purpose of shielding in a PET/CT scanner facility?
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Study Notes
Isotopes
- Atoms with the same number of protons in the nucleus but different numbers of neutrons
- Most elements in the periodic table have associated isotopes, but not all nuclei of these isotopes represent stable configurations of protons and neutrons
Radioisotopes
- Isotopes of a particular element that are unstable due to their neutron-proton configuration
- Radioisotopes can spontaneously undergo changes or transformations to rectify the unstable arrangement
- Half-life (HL) is the time taken for the radioactivity to decrease by half
Medical Usage
- Radiation therapy: uses high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells or shrink tumors
- Well-oxygenated, rapidly dividing cells are sensitive to radiation damage
- Radiation can be delivered internally through infusion or implantation of radioisotopes
Radiation Therapy
- Therapeutic isotopes have long half-lives and high-energy radiation
- Radiation can be in the form of gamma rays or fast electrons (beta radiation)
- Iodine-125 (125I) is a commonly used therapeutic radioisotope
- 125I seeds are used to treat prostate cancer, with a treatment goal of delivering 145 Gy to at least 90% of the prostate volume
- Radiation safety practices include distance and time
Radiation Therapy (Cont.)
- Iodine-131 (131I) is another commonly used therapeutic radioisotope
- 131I has a half-life of 8 days and can be joined chemically with sodium to form a radioactive compound
- 131I is used to treat thyroid cancer and residual thyroid tissue after surgery
- Personnel radiation protection considerations include distance, time, and shielding
Nuclear Medicine
- Employs radioisotopes to study organ function, detect cancer spread, and treat disease
- Diagnostic techniques use short-lived radioisotopes as tracers
- Common radioisotopes used in nuclear medicine include Iodine-123 (123I) and Technetium-99m (99mTc)
Nuclear Medicine (Cont.)
- 123I is used to study thyroid gland function and has an average half-life of 13.3 hours
- 99mTc is the most commonly used radioisotope in nuclear medicine and is produced from the radioactive decay of Molybdenum-99 (99Mo)
- 99mTc can be incorporated into various compounds or biologically active substances for different tissues or organs
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Computed Tomography (CT)
- PET uses annihilation radiation events from the radioactive decay of unstable isotopes
- Annihilation radiation is initiated by the radioactive decay of an unstable isotope with too many protons
- Positron-emitter isotopes, such as Fluorine-18 (18F), are used in PET scanning
- 18F can be attached to a glucose molecule to form fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), a radioactive tracer taken up by cancerous cells
PET and CT (Cont.)
- PET/CT scanners combine the functional information from PET with the anatomical information from CT
- PET scanning is an important imaging modality for detecting and monitoring cancer
- Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is used to reveal the location of cancerous cells through PET scanning
Radiation Protection
- Radiation safety shielding considerations for PET/CT scanners include scattered radiation, high-energy annihilation photons, and patient prep time
- Necessary protection for technologists and personnel includes distance, time, and shielding
- A well-designed facility with necessary shielding is essential for radiation protection
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Description
Learn about isotopes, atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, and radioisotopes, which are unstable and undergo spontaneous transformations. Understand the concept of half-life and its significance.
