Radiopharmacology

A radiopharmaceutical (including radiopharmaceutical ) is a product now used in nuclear medicine medicines. It may consist solely of a radioactive substance, or a carrier to which the radioactive substance is coupled. Radiopharmaceuticals are used in particular for the diagnosis ( radiodiagnostic ) in scintigraphy, positron emission tomography ( PET) and single photon emission computed tomography ( SPECT), which compared to other methods such as the X-ray is the difference, that there is no stationary states are mapped, but metabolic processes. Radiopharmaceuticals may be used also for the treatment of diseases or bodily conditions ( radiotherapeutic agent ).

The radiopharmaceutical is engaged in the development and manufacture of radiopharmaceuticals.

Application

Both its pharmacological properties ( pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics ) and the radiochemical properties of the nuclide ( type of radiation, activity, half-life) decide on the application of a radiopharmaceutical. Thus, radionuclides that emit primarily beta radiation, primarily used in the therapy because they secrete intense radiation only over short distances and their radioactive effect thus remains in the body. Exception are positron emitters ( beta emitter ) in the PET. They produce (two coincident gamma - quanta with 511 keV ), which are registered by the PET scanner with their decay annihilation radiation. Gamma emitter, however, the rays go through a long distance, but are less intense, are mainly for diagnostics and recorded by gamma camera. Gamma emitters are also used in radiotherapy as a radiation source (eg when afterloading ).