The role of Nuclear Medicine

in treatment of Cancer

Layal K.JambiTutor: Bernardine BriggsEUS3, University of SurreyJune 2012

Outline

• Biological and pathological features of cancer.

• Methods of treatment.

• Nuclear Medicine and some applications.

What is Cancer ?

• Cancer is the abnormal, uncontrolled growth of normal cells.

• The abnormal change of a cell is due to alteration to its DNA.

Tumors types

Warning signs of cancer

Methods of Prevention

Early detection of cancer

• Importance

– Give the best chance of cure.– Cost-effective mean of control.

Treatment

Treatment

11

22

33

44

55

NuclearNuclearMedicineMedicine

• Sometimes seeing things from the Outside doesn't tell the whole story.

• It may looks okay, but on the Inside it may NOT be okay.

• Nuclear Medicine is an area of Radiology that Allows doctors to see from the Outside how the body is working Inside

What is Nuclear Medicine ?

• Nuclear Medicine is a medical specialty that is used to Diagnose and Treat diseases in a safe and painless way.

Why it is called Nuclear Medicine ?

• Nuclear Medicine refers to ( a Pharmaceutical ) that is attached to a small quantity of Radioactive Material ( a Radioisotope )

Therapeutic Application of NM

11

22

33

44

I-131 Therapy

• Thyroid Cancer and Graves Disease.

• I-131 Capsules.

• Thyroid tenderness, salivary gland swelling and nausea.

Zevalin

• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

• IV infusion.

• Mild to moderate flu-like symptoms.

TheraSphere

• Hepatocellular carcinoma.

• Injection of TheraSphere.

• Fatigue, nausea, fever, vomiting and stomach pain.

Samarium Therapy

• Relieve bone pain.

• Injection of radiopharmaceutical.

• Myelosuppression and an increase pain in the sites being treated

To sum up

• NM is now producing numerous therapeutic techniques that can replace other modalities due to it being considered safe, painless and a cost-effective technique.

References

•Almeida, C. (2010). Cancer: Basic Science and Clinical Aspects. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.

 

•Brenner, W & Eary, J. (2007). Nuclear Medicine Therapy. New York: Informa Healthcare.

 

•IAEA. (2006). Nuclear Medicine Resources Manual. Austria: IAEA.

•Souhami, R. (2005). Cancer and its Management. 5th Ed. Oxford: Blackwell.