Definition

Noun: The branch of medicine that uses radioactive substances (radiopharmaceuticals) for diagnosis and treatment. Diagnosis typically involves imaging organs or tissues to assess their function, while treatment aims to destroy diseased cells, such as cancer cells.

Usage

This term is used as a non-count noun to refer to the medical specialty, its procedures, and its practice. * The hospital has a dedicated department for nuclear medicine. * A scan in nuclear medicine can reveal how well the heart is pumping blood. * She is a physician specializing in nuclear medicine.

Examples

• Nuclear medicine techniques, like PET scans, are crucial for detecting cancer metastases.
• The use of radioactive iodine in nuclear medicine can effectively treat an overactive thyroid gland.
• Advances in nuclear medicine allow for more precise targeting of tumors during therapy.

Advanced Usage

• In nuclear medicine: Referring to work, research, or procedures within this field.
  • He has worked in nuclear medicine for over twenty years.
• Of nuclear medicine: Denoting something belonging to or characteristic of this field.
  • This textbook covers the fundamental principles of nuclear medicine.

Variants and Related Words

• Nuclear physician (n): A doctor who specializes in nuclear medicine.
• Radiopharmaceutical (n): A radioactive drug used in nuclear medicine for diagnosis or therapy.
• Scintigraphy (n): An imaging procedure in nuclear medicine that uses a gamma camera.
• Positron Emission Tomography (PET) (n): A common nuclear medicine imaging technique.
• Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) (n): Another common nuclear medicine imaging technique.

Synonyms

• Radiology: A broader field of medicine using imaging for diagnosis, which includes nuclear medicine as a subspecialty. (Note: Not a perfect synonym, as radiology also includes techniques like X-rays and MRI which do not involve administering radioactive substances.)
• Molecular imaging: A modern term often associated with nuclear medicine techniques that visualize biological processes at the molecular level.

Related Phrases

• Nuclear medicine scan/test/procedure: Common collocations specifying an activity within this field.
  • The doctor ordered a nuclear medicine scan of my bones.
• Diagnostic nuclear medicine: Specifically refers to the imaging and diagnostic applications.
• Therapeutic nuclear medicine: Specifically refers to the treatment applications using radiopharmaceuticals.

Noun

1. the branch of medicine that uses radioactive materials either to image a patient's body or to destroy diseased cells