Nuclear Medicine
PET scans, SPECT and other specialized testing and treatment
Accurate, Advanced Testing and Treatment to Support Your Healthcare
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) specialists offer the latest nuclear medicine testing. These tests support care for many health concerns. Nuclear medicine includes:
- Position emission tomography (PET)/CT imaging
- Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/CT imaging
PET scanning is a relatively new technology that has recently been seeing remarkable growth. More and more evidence shows that PET/CT is the most accurate tool for imaging many cancers.
ACR-Accredited in Nuclear Imaging
The Division of Nuclear Medicine within our Department of Radiology has received accreditation from the American College of Radiology (ACR). With this, you can be sure that we are committed to upholding the highest standards in safety, patient care and quality.
Advanced PET/CT Technology
We installed the first hybrid PET/CT scanner in the state of Massachusetts. This is the most advanced type of nuclear imaging technology. Both machines combine functional nuclear medicine images with anatomic images provided by CT. We primarily use PET to diagnose and treat specific cancers. We can use SPECT for cancer diagnosis and treatment, as well as for treating several benign (noncancerous) diseases.
More About Nuclear Medicine
During Your Exam
When you arrive, you will receive an injection of a diagnostic radioactive tracer. The tracer will take approximately one hour to travel through your bloodstream and distribute to tissues throughout your body. One hour after the injection, the scan will begin. The scan will last anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.
Dotatate PET/CT Preparation Instructions
If you are being treated with LAR somatostatin analogue (long-acting), your visit needs to be coordinated so that the imaging will be performed approximately one month after your last dose. Short-acting somatostatin analogues should be withheld for at least 24 hours prior to your visit. You should arrive to the appointment well hydrated.
Many cancers use more glucose (sugar) than most normal tissues. The nuclear medicine doctor can take advantage of this by injecting glucose with a small amount of radioactivity attached to the glucose molecule. This radioactive sugar is fluorodeoxyglucose, or FDG. The doctor uses the PET scanner to obtain images of the distribution of glucose throughout the body.
The amount of glucose that tissues in the body use provides information to help guide further diagnostic and therapeutic options. In addition to using FDG for PET imaging, we use other radiotracers in PET/CT for imaging neuroendocrine tumors, prostate cancer and abnormal biomarkers in the brain.
Anatomic Information We Obtain with CT Scanning
CT scanning provides high-resolution images that show anatomy very well. But CT does not do a good job of showing how well the body functions. Therefore, if a doctor sees an abnormality on CT scanning, it is not always obvious if that abnormality is benign or malignant (cancer).
By obtaining and combining CT and PET images, the nuclear medicine doctor can simultaneously see both anatomic and physiologic changes in the body. This provides the most accurate information available today for the imaging diagnosis and localization of cancer.
Nuclear Medicine in Cancer Care
We use nuclear medicine to plan or guide treatment for many types of cancer, including:
Our team also offers sentinel node study as part of cancer care.
Nuclear Medicine in Cardiovascular Care
We offer nuclear medicine tests to diagnose cardiovascular vascular conditions, such as coronary artery disease (CAD). We provide:
- Cardiac perfusion
- Cardiac PET/CT
Other Specialty Nuclear Medicine Care
Our specialists support our colleagues across BIDMC in diagnosing and planning treatment for many health conditions. We provide:
We also use nuclear medicine to diagnose these conditions:
- Digestive conditions such as gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding or gastroparesis
- Infection
- Neurologic and neuromuscular conditions such as epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease
- Pulmonary embolism (PE)
Advancing Care, Research & Education
Department of Radiology
Our radiology specialists provide a full spectrum of clinical programs and services using the latest imaging technology and techniques.
Radiology Research
Our Radiology Program promotes academic programs and clinical excellence worldwide through research.
Radiology Education & Training
BIDMC offers graduates and physicians education and training opportunities in radiology.
