Nuclear imaging and therapy

Nuclear imaging yields results unattainable through other types of imaging exams and is a valuable tool for diagnosing disease in its earliest stages. Our specialists use nuclear imaging to see the activity in various systems within the body, including the brain, heart, stomach, kidneys, lungs, thyroid and bones.

What you should know about nuclear imaging and therapy

• Depending on the type of exam being performed, the radiotracer can be swallowed, inhaled as a gas or intravenously injected.
• It can take as little as a few seconds or as long as several days for the radiotracer to accumulate in the organ being studied. Imaging may be performed immediately after the radioactive material is administered or may be scheduled at a later time.
• Nuclear imaging is noninvasive and painless with the exception of possible discomfort from the injection of the tracer.
• The doses of radiotracer administered for exams are very small and result in relatively low exposure to radiation.
  
  

Why choose Geisinger for nuclear imaging and therapy

• We offer nuclear medicine therapy for thyroid cancer, prostate cancer, and lymphoma in addition to pain management for certain bone cancers using Samarium.