An Introduction to the Physics of Nuclear Medicine (Second Edition)

Abstract

The complexity and vulnerability of the human body has driven the development of a diverse range of diagnostic and therapeutic techniques in modern medicine. The nuclear medicine procedures of positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and radionuclide therapy are wellestablished in clinical practice and are founded upon the principles of radiation physics. This book will offer an insight into the physics of nuclear medicine by explaining the principles of radioactivity, how radionuclides are produced and administered as radiopharmaceuticals to the body and how radiation can be detected and used to produce images for diagnosis. The treatment of diseases such as thyroid cancer, hyperthyroidism and lymphoma by radionuclide therapy will also be explored. Additions to the second edition include a new chapter on how Monte Carlo is used in nuclear medicine and new sections on deep learning in nuclear medicine and intraoperative nuclear probes.