D.8 - Nuclear Medicine Flashcards
What emissions are used for medical treatment?
Alpha, beta, gamma, proton, neutron and positron emissions.
What is an application of NMR technology?
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Can radiotherapy be internal and/ or external?
It’s can be.
What are the two methods which are used in cancer treatment?
Targeted Alpha Therapy (TAT) and Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT).
What is radiotherapy used for?
Is it used to treat cancer to kill cancer cells.
What is the difference between internal and external radiotherapy?
Internal = implant is placed closed to the tumour inside the body. External = high-energy rays are directed from outside the body into the tumour.
What are the side effects from radiotherapy?
Damage healthy cells and tissues near the area being treated.
Fatigue, nausea, hair-loss, sterility, skin reactions.
What happens in alpha decay?
The mass no. Decreases by four and the atomic no. Decreases by two.
What happens in beta minus decay?
The mass number does not change and the atomic number increases by one.
What happens in beta positive decay?
The mass number does not change and the atomic number decreases by one.
What happens in gamma decay?
Nothing changed.
How does TAT used to treat diseases that have spread throughout the body?
It uses radioactive isotopes that undergo alpha decay. It selectively targets and kills cancer cells; it does not damage healthy cells.
Why is technetium-99m the most common radioisotope used in nuclear medicine?
Short half-life of 6 hours - decays quickly and minimises exposure to patient.
Low energy emission levels is just enough for gammas cameras to detect; patient is not exposed to high levels of radiation.
Different forms of technetium-99m means that is can travels to different organs in the body, targeting specific parts of the body.
