Tc-99m Shortage: PET to the Rescue?
Nuclear medicine is facing the largest technetium (Tc-99m) shortage in its history and, coupled with a lack of technologist jobs, this scenario could be among the worst in the history of nuclear medicine.
Patients who would normally be referred for procedures such as VQ scans for blood clots, stress tests for cardiac perfusion, and bone scans for skeletal abnormalities will instead be referred for substitution scans that may be less sensitive and less accurate. The long-term damage could be a loss of imaging market share that could impact the nuclear medicine indefinitely.
Fortunately, PET utilizes cyclotron-produced radiopharmaceuticals and will be unaffected by the current downturn. FDG-18 is the most commonly injected tracer for PET scans, which are based on glucose uptake within the body. Normal cells utilize glucose for energy, but such processes as cancer, infection and even the normal healing process can cause an increase in cell uptake, creating what is typically known as a hot spot on a PET scan. PET scans identify areas of increased FDG-18 activity, thereby pointing to abnormalities. Continue Reading...
Patients who would normally be referred for procedures such as VQ scans for blood clots, stress tests for cardiac perfusion, and bone scans for skeletal abnormalities will instead be referred for substitution scans that may be less sensitive and less accurate. The long-term damage could be a loss of imaging market share that could impact the nuclear medicine indefinitely.
Fortunately, PET utilizes cyclotron-produced radiopharmaceuticals and will be unaffected by the current downturn. FDG-18 is the most commonly injected tracer for PET scans, which are based on glucose uptake within the body. Normal cells utilize glucose for energy, but such processes as cancer, infection and even the normal healing process can cause an increase in cell uptake, creating what is typically known as a hot spot on a PET scan. PET scans identify areas of increased FDG-18 activity, thereby pointing to abnormalities. Continue Reading...
Views: 18
© 2025 Created by syed sultan.
Powered by
