Radiation Used in Nuclear Medicine

Radiation Facts
  • Properly used, the benefits of diagnostic nuclear medicine outweigh the risks.

Most nuclear medicine procedures involve using small amounts of radioactive materials to detect or treat diseases.

This page talks about internal radiation therapy. To learn more about external beam radiation therapy, please visit the Radiation Therapy page.

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About Radiation Used in Nuclear Medicine

Pet scan machine
Image of a gamma camera used for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans.
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Nuclear medicine procedures help detect and treat diseases by using a small amount of radioactive material, called a radiopharmaceutical. Some radiopharmaceuticals are used with imaging equipment to detect diseases. Radiopharmaceuticals can also be placed inside the body near a cancerous tumor to shrink or destroy it.

A positron emission tomography (PET) scan is an example of a nuclear medicine procedure used to diagnose disease. A PET scan uses a radioactive substance that is inserted into the bloodstream and travels to a specific organ. Doctors use a special camera to watch how the tracer moves. The camera sends information to a computer, which takes pictures as the tracer moves thorough the organ. Doctors use the images to detect problems with the organ.

Radiopharmaceuticals are also used to treat disease by shrinking tumors and killing cancerous cells. During a brachytherapy procedure doctors surgically place small radioactive “seeds” near or inside a cancerous tumor. The radiation from the seeds helps destroy the nearby cancer cells.

Different radioactive elements are absorbed differently by different organs. For example, iodine is absorbed by the thyroid gland, so iodine-131 is used to diagnose and treat thyroid cancer. The doctors choose the best radiopharmaceutical for the part of the body they need to diagnose or treat.

What You Can Do

  • Inform your doctor about past treatments. Let the doctor know about other nuclear medicine tests or treatments.
  • Tell your doctor if you are pregnant. Let the doctor know if you are pregnant, might be pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
  • Discuss the risks. It’s important to talk to your doctor about the risks associated with using nuclear medicine with the doctor or the technician before the procedure.
  • Follow all instructions given by the doctor. After certain procedures, patients may need to take extra precautions for a few days as the radiopharmaceutical is eliminated from their bodies. Be sure to talk with your doctor about post-treatment guidelines.

Where to Learn More

EPA is not a medical agency, and does not regulate nuclear medicine. For more information, please visit the links below.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

The NRC regulates the use of radioactive material, including radiopharmaceuticals. The NRC requires all nuclear medicine facilities to be licensed. Facilities must prove they have a radiation safety program to protect both the patients and the staff in order to get an NRC license. In addition, the staff must meet certain standards of training and experience before they can treat patients with radioactive material.

Fact sheet on Medical Use of Radioactive Materials 
This webpage provides general information on radiopharmaceutical use and regulatory authority.

The States

Each state has a radiation program that ensures the safe use of radioactive materials. The NRC has agreements with more than half the states (Agreement States) that gives them the authority to regulate the use of radiopharmaceuticals. Agreement States inspect facilities to make sure the staff is properly trained and that equipment is operating safely.

State Radiation Protection Programs
The Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD)
This webpage provides links and contact information for each state's Radiation Control Program office.

The U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) regulates the production of prescription drugs, including radiopharmaceuticals. The FDA does not regulate how the radiopharmaceuticals are used in medical facilities.

About the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research 
Learn more about the group within the FDA that regulates the production of radiopharmaceuticals.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The NIH provides information about medical procedures, including those which use radiation.

PET scan
Learn more about Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans.

Nuclear Scans
Get information on nuclear scans and explore the interactive tutorial.

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Last updated on August 21, 2024