Nuke medicine shows best diagnosis and treatment accuracy

Amritsar, Aug 16 (UNI) Nuclear medicine is fast gaining popularity in super speciality health care centres for its great many applications in diagnosis and treatment of some dreaded conditions like cancer.

Nuclear medical examinations were ''unique, high precision, extremely accurate and unquestionable'' in comparison with other diagnostic techniques like blood, urine and stool testing besides X-Ray, CT Scan, MRI, ECHO, ECG etc, according to Dr Atul Pathak Head of Department of Nuclear Medicine, Escorts Heart and Super Specialty Institute, The hospital recently treated 11 patients suffering from malfunctions of thyroid with encouraging results. All these patients were in the age group of 26 to 65 years.

About 70 per cent of these patients were women and suffering from 'Hyper Thyroidism / Graves', a condition leading to severe weight loss, palpitations and tremors.

After Radioiodine treatment, all these patients reported normal functioning of thyroid and were rid of majority of symptoms, leading to positive lifestyle changes.

In several cases, for instance among diabetic patients, the functions of kidney or functions of others vital organs like -- heart, thyroid, liver, gall bladder, blood flow, intestines, presence or spread of cancer, locations of infections or bone evaluation in fractures, infection, arthritis or tumor etc- nuclear testing has proved to be a boon.

"Quicker and accurate diagnosis means controlling the situation early and thereby saving lives and medical expenditure", explains Dr Atul.

In comparison to some tests like endoscopy for stomach and other digestive problems- nuclear testing is less invasive, less traumatic besides allergic reactions are extremely rare.

In nuclear testing - radioactive tracer substances are administered to patients orally, intravenously or by other means.

The movement of this substance in the body helps in diagnosis by imaging.

However, pregnant women are not advised to go for it.

Dr ML Chawla, executive director Escorts, said that the hospital intends to start 'bone-pain relieving ' in cancer patients reducing pain to almost 90 per cent, besides nuclear therapy for thyroid cancer.

UNI