What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Imaging?

When it comes to advanced diagnostic capability, few technologies are more powerful than nuclear imaging. It uses radiation to give doctors a total picture of what’s happening in the body, and is an invaluable tool when it comes to both prevention and treatment.

Some examples of nuclear imaging equipment include computerized technology (CT), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and positron emission tomography (PET). These equipment employ the use of what are essentially special cameras that are capable of capturing images at the nuclear level. SPECT, CT, and PET scans are valuable resources employed by doctors in order to diagnose and treat medical conditions such as heart disease and cancer.

However, there are advantages and disadvantages of nuclear medicine imaging. As is the case with any tool, there are tradeoffs. In the case of nuclear imaging, many of those tradeoffs are unique in their complexity.

Let’s simplify things by breaking down the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear imaging technology. The goal is to give you the information you need to understand the basics of the technology so you can understand it as a patient, or acquire the right system for your specific needs, if you’re a medical professional.

Advantages of Nuclear Imaging

Before nuclear imaging, the location of a tumor and whether it might be benign or malignant was a matter of guesswork for doctors. The invention of nuclear imaging gave them the ability to make that determination with more precision, and it also provided far more information.

Nuclear imaging can help doctors determine whether a disease is present in the body well before any symptoms begin to appear and, for many patients, there’s no real way to put a monetary value on that capability.

The information provided by nuclear imaging can reach an entirely different level that takes it well beyond just information about a tumor. It also makes it possible for doctors to pinpoint the cancer cells, which can help them determine the best treatment option. This in turn allows doctors to avoid exploratory surgeries for many patients, which can be both risky and painful.

Nuclear imaging also provides pinpoint analysis about the level of function of the kidneys and the spleen. Moreover, it can analyze the lungs to determine if there are respiratory or blood flow problems. It also has the ability to detect issues like gall bladder blockages and bowel bleeding, and these can steer physicians in entirely different directions when it comes to their diagnoses and treatment recommendations.

There are other hidden benefits as well, and some of these pertain to test results. Nuclear imaging can clarify test results that are abnormal or ambiguous, and this is especially relevant when it comes to bone health.

When combined with MRIs and X-rays, nuclear images are an incredibly powerful tool. If bone pain is present, it can detect cancer in the bones themselves, which helps doctors differentiate between different types of cancers and issues like shrouded fractures, that can occur in older patients due to osteoporosis.

Nuclear imaging is also important in heart health diagnostics and treatment. It helps doctors who receive ambiguous results when performing stress tests on patients, which can make it difficult to understand the cause of issues like shortness of breath and chest pain. Given this capability, nuclear imaging is invaluable when it comes to diagnosing coronary artery disease, and the discomfort that can come with this kind of testing is more than worthwhile.

The accuracy of the information provided by nuclear imaging is incredibly precise, too. It gives surgeons the information they need to do pinpoint work when they perform operations, and it makes the entire diagnostic process less invasive.

Finally, nuclear imaging is painless and safe and, despite the expense, it’s usually cost-effective. The ability to analyze organ function and collect related data is often invaluable, and it can improve the prognosis for other kinds of cancers, along with blood disorders.

Disadvantages of Nuclear Imaging

There are some disadvantages of nuclear imaging, of course, and some are health-related, while others have to do with the cost. We’ll start with the health-related ones since those are obviously of greater concern to both medical professionals and their patients.

The biggest negative impact of nuclear imaging is on women who are either pregnant or breastfeeding. The reason for this is simple—the tracers used in this kind of imaging generate a small amount of radiation and, while the risk of complications due to radiation exposure is small, it is still present. Certain nuclear medicine procedures, such as thyroid cancer treatment, also use small amounts of radioactive material called radioactive iodine.

Allergic reactions during imaging tests can occur as well. These involve some combination of dizziness, headaches, and fluctuations in heart rhythms, along with a possible dip in blood pressure numbers. The risk factor for these kinds of reactions is low—1 in 40,000, to be exact—but it should be discussed thoroughly during the initial consultation with a doctor.

Another downside of nuclear imagining is related to the cost. CT scans, PET scans, and X-rays can have high costs but many, if not most, insurance plans provide coverage for medical imaging. The reason for this expense has to do with the nature of the equipment, which must be assembled, operated and maintained by highly-skilled personnel, including doctors. Hospitals and medical practices often spend a lot of money to purchase and install the equipment, and that expense has to be recovered over time.

As precise and accurate as nuclear imaging scans tend to be, it is not foolproof. Every person undergoing nuclear imaging has slightly different biological processes, which can cause varying results for diagnostic tests.

Another downside is the time it takes to interpret the imagery. This can take days or even weeks, which can also make things problematic for critical care patients who require immediate attention.

The patient experience for nuclear imaging also comes with some drawbacks. These include the need to fast, avoid caffeine, or even take pre-medication before a procedure is performed, which intimidates some patients.

In addition, patients must stay still during lengthy nuclear imaging procedures, and their time commitment often extends beyond the usual appointment windows. Some patients may also require a catheter in the bladder.

Nuclear Imaging at TTG Imaging Solutions

Despite these disadvantages, the future of nuclear imaging remains bright, and the advantages easily outweigh them. It is an established part of medical technology, not to mention many diagnoses and treatment protocols. TTG Imaging Solutions has the expertise to sell, install, and maintain nearly all nuclear imaging systems on the market. We are committed to providing our integrated, end-to-end solution for any nuclear and diagnostic imaging and radiopharmaceutical needs and our technicians are specially trained to handle equipment installation and maintenance. Visit our website today and discover how we can create a partnership that exceeds your expectations.