43. NUCLEAR MEDICINE: BETA PLUS DECAY

Question 1

1. What is Beta Plus (β+) Decay characterised by?

Answer 1

• the production of positrons

Question 2

2. What are Positron Emitters?

Answer 2

• they are the Radionuclides that undergo Beta Plus
  Decay

Question 3

3. In which situations do we use Positron Emitters?

Answer 3

WE USE THEM IN MEDICINE FOR:
- functional imaging
- with Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

Question 4

4. Name one example of Beta Plus Decay?

Answer 4

• the decay of Nitrogen 13
• into Carbon 13

CARBON 13 HAS A HALF LIFE OF:
- 10 minutes

Question 5

5. Does this image make sense?

Answer 5

• yes

Question 6

6. What is Nitrogen-13?

Answer 6

• this is a proton rich Radionuclide
• it is produced in a Cyclotron

Question 7

7. How is Nitrogen-13 (labelled as Ammonia) inserted into the patient’s body?

Answer 7

• it is injected intravenously into the body

Question 8

8. What is Nitrogen-13 (labelled as Ammonia) used for in medicine?

Answer 8

1. CARDIAC IMAGING
   - for diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease
   - diagnosis of Myocardial Infraction
2. LIVER IMAGING
3. BRAIN IMAGING

Question 9

9. What happens when Fluorine-18 undergoes Beta decay?

Answer 9

• it decays into Oxygen-18
• this has a half life of 110 minutes
• this is a very important practical example

Question 10

10. What is Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)?

Answer 10

• this a kind of Radionuclide of Fluorine-18
• it is a sugar compound

Question 11

11. What do we use FDG (labelled as Fluorine-18) for?

Answer 11

• we use it in PET functional imaging
• it is injected intravenously into a patient

Question 12

12. What helps the FDG PET scan to detect abnormalities in the body?

Answer 12

• increased glucose metabolism

Question 13

13. What can FDG PET scans detect?

Answer 13

1. Malignant Diseases
2. Distinguish Benign from Malignant Diseases
3. Staging of Malignant Diseases
4. Monitoring the response to therapy of Malignant
   Diseases