Radionuclide scans and therapies

We perform radionuclide scans and administer radionuclide therapies at Meilahti Hospital, Jorvi Hospital, and South Karelia Central Hospital.

Radionuclide scans can provide information for example on: 

• cancer's stage and response to cancer treatment
• infections
• heart function
• degenerative brain diseases.

Many diseases can be detected in radionuclide scans before the structural changes caused by the disease appear when using other imaging methods. Radionuclide scan can also be called an isotope study, scintigraphy, nuclear medicine scan, or nuclear imaging.

You can find more information about radionuclide scans in the Examinationhub in Health Village. Go to Examinationhub.

What happens during a radionuclide scan?

In radionuclide scans, a small amount of a radiopharmaceutical is administered to the patient’s body. The patient is then scanned with a gamma camera or a PET scanner. The equipment available is capable of detecting even very small amounts of radiation. 

Which diseases can be treated with radionuclide therapy?

Radionuclide therapies are used especially to treat cancers, but also to treat, for example, hyperthyroidism. Radionuclide therapies utilize radioactive drugs, and therapies are used in close connection with imaging utilizing certain special techniques (such as PET-CT and SPECT-CT).  

The effect of radionuclide therapies is based on the fact that the radioactive substance finds it way to the cancer cell and destroys the cell with radiation which is very localized. 

You can find more information about radionuclide therapies in the Examinationhub in Health Village. Go to Examinationhub.