Nuclear Physics 3: Radiopharmaceuticals Used in Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear Physics 3 presents the applications of various radioisotopes in nuclear medicine, with a focus on radiological imaging methods such as X-rays, γ scintigraphy - PET - MRI and ultrasound, which do not exploit the properties of radiopharmaceuticals. The book then presents the physicochemical and pharmacological properties of radiopharmaceuticals labeled with 99mTc, 201Tl, 18mKr, 18F and the radioisotopes 123I, 125I and 131I used in nuclear medicine.

The production chains for the radiotracers studied, as well as their main emissions, are then described in detail, followed by a study of the clearance mechanisms of the radiopharmaceuticals under consideration. Finally, the book describes the principles of myocardial, pulmonary, bone, thyroid, renal and gastric emptying scans using the properties of the radiotracers studied, as well as the principles of prostate brachytherapy using iodine-125 implants and prostate chemotherapy.

Ibrahima Sakho is a teacher-researcher-writer at Iba Der Thiam University, Senegal. He has taught nuclear physics for more than 25 years. His main research interests include resonant photoionisation and assessing the risks of radiation-induced cancers due to off-field doses in external radiotherapy.