Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Traditional SPECT-based nuclear medicine has been eclipsed in recent years by the rapid rise of PET and PET/CT. But can the newer SPECT/CT systems, armed with multislice CT capabilities, help nuclear medicine grab the limelight once again?
That's the subject of a new Technology Review we're featuring in our Molecular Imaging Digital Community by industry consultant Marvin Burns of Bio-Tech Systems of Las Vegas.
Mr. Burns reviews the differences between SPECT/CT and PET/CT, and describes how the former may have certain advantages. SPECT radiopharmaceuticals have more specific targeting capabilities than FDG, the workhorse PET radiotracer, which can be an advantage in diagnosing specific diseases.
While PET/CT has carved out a role in oncology, SPECT/CT's greatest impact may be in cardiac imaging. SPECT is already heavily used in the heart for nuclear perfusion, and adding CT to SPECT studies could help the modality dispel its reputation as "unclear medicine."
Read all about the other arguments for SPECT/CT, as well as Mr. Burns' projections for the modality's future, by clicking here. And check out the rest of the news in nuclear medicine by visiting our Molecular Imaging Digital Community, at molecular.auntminnie.com.
