Hell J Nucl Med
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As we all know, Nuclear Medicine is the medical science using nuclear radiation for diagnosis, treatment and research. Nuclear Medicine, in contrast to Radiology, makes use of unsealed sources of radiation. Nuclear Medicine a few years ago has partly offered Nuclear Cardiology, the most lucrative of all Nuclear Medicine "children" at that time, to Cardiology. ⋯ Many patients have already done a dCT scan at the time they are referred for a PET scan to the Nuclear Medicine Department. b) The absolute clinical indications for PET/CT with the use of a contrast agent, are under investigation. c) Although there is at present a list of indications suggested for the PET/CT scanner, there are studies disputing some of these indications, as for example in metastatic colon cancer where a high diagnostic accuracy for PET study alone, has been reported. d) The option of AC performed by the PET/CT scanner has also been questioned. Artifacts may be up to 84%. e) The PET/CT is expensive, time consuming, space occupying, and needs additional medical and technical personnel. f) Not to mention the extra radiation dose to the patients. g) Shall we inform those young medical students who wish to become nuclear medicine physicians, to hold their decision till the content of future Nuclear Medicine is clarified? We may suggest that: Our specialty could be renamed as: "Clinical Nuclear Medicine" and include additional "proper certified education" on the PET/CT equipment. The PET/CT scanner should remain in the Nuclear Medicine Department where Radiologists could act as advisors.