Nuclear Medicine

In our Nuclear Medicine clinic at Yeditepe University Hospital, we offer a full range of PET/CT and Radio immunotherapy (RAI) services.

Radiopharmaceuticals are used in the field of nuclear medicine as tracers in medical imaging and in therapy for many diseases (for example, brachytherapy). The radioactive isotope samarium-153 is the major component of the drug samarium (153Sm) lexidronam (Quadramet), which kills cancer cells in the treatment of lung cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer and osteosarcoma.

PET/CT is a monitoring machine, which is the combination of PET (Positron Emission Tomography) and CT (computerised tomography). While PET gives information about the functions and metabolisms of cells, CT provides anatomic data about size, location and density.

PET/CT is used more common in oncology as a whole body scan.

• To determine whether the nodule or mass detected before is benign or malign, to determine the main focus in treating patients with cancer,
  
• In staging to decide on the treatment, in evaluating the response the patient gives to the treatment, in suspicion of relapse and metastases, in determining the right location of living cancer genic tissue to protect healthy tissues
  
• In the distinctive diagnosis of solitary pulmonary nodes in the lungs, brain tumors, pancreatic masses and adrenal masses
  
• Before by-pass and stent interventions, in research of presence of live muscle tissue and determination of whether these interventions can be helpful
• In neurology when there is a suspicion of Alzheimer’s and in epilepsy in deciding on surgery

Studies show that PET/CT is highly beneficial in determining the extent of disease, deciding the type of treatment and observing suspicious situations like relapses. It plays an important role in determining the treatment to be used during staging (surgery, surgery chemotherapy/radiotherapy, chemotherapy/radiotherapy etc.). It is also possible to have more accurate staging by determining whether indications such as bones imaged with other diagnostic approaches, liver lesions, lymph nodes and lymph nodes, are related to the tumor.

Thus patients are saved from unnecessary surgical interventions and correct staging can render previously inoperable patients candidates for surgery.

Relapses can be determined earlier.

Since the extent of the disease can be determined better, unnecessary treatments can be avoided and more suitable treatment methods can be used.

With evaluation of the likely response to treatment, the decision to continue chemotherapy or if necessary to change chemotherapy drugs can be done in earlier stages.