Common Radioisotopes in Medicine
Start with the big picture
The lesson groups radionuclides by clinical purpose. Diagnostic examples include Tc-99m for several SPECT studies, F-18 and Ga-68 for PET, and I-123 for thyroid imaging. Other isotopes serve more specialized roles, such as Rb-82 for myocardial perfusion assessment, Xe-133 for pulmonary ventilation, and Cr-51 for red-cell mass studies. Therapeutic radionuclides include I-131 for thyroid conditions, Lu-177 for targeted treatments, and Ra-223, Sm-153, and Sr-89 for selected bone metastasis applications. Across these examples, radiation emission and half-life help explain how a radionuclide is used. This preview introduces the main categories; the full lesson develops the individual isotopes and their clinical uses.
What you'll learn
- Distinguish diagnostic radionuclides from therapeutic radionuclides.
- Relate radiation type and physical half-life to radionuclide selection.
- Identify common SPECT and PET radionuclides and their clinical applications.
- Recognize selected radionuclides used in thyroid, cancer, and bone-related therapy.
Continue your study
Work through the complete notes and reinforce the topic with the study tools available in the full lesson.
