Isotopes in medicine

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A medical isotope is an isotope used in medicine.

The first uses of isotopes in medicine were in radiopharmaceuticals, and this is still the most common use. However more recently, separated stable isotopes have also come into use.

Examples of non-radioactive medical isotopes are:

Radioactive isotopes used

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Isotopes used for diagnostics

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Isotopes used for radiotherapy

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Radioactive isotopes are used in medicine for both treatment and diagnostic scans. The most common isotope used in diagnostic scans is Tc-99m (Technetium-99m), being the isotope of choice in approximately 85% of them. It is used for diagnosing medical conditions such as cancer and neurological disease, and can be used for diagnosis scans in a wide range of body parts and organs [2]. Another well-known radioactive isotope used in medicine is I-131 (Iodine-131), used as a radioactive label for some radiopharmaceutical therapies or for the treatment of some types of thyroid cancer[3]. Some radioisotopes are used for palliative care, an example of this being Sr-89 (Strontium-89) which is used to relieve bone pain due to cancer [4].

Non-radioactive isotopes used

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References

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  1. ^ "carbon-13". thefreedictionary.com.
  2. ^ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Nuclear Energy Agency. "The supply of medical isotopes" (PDF). http://www.oecd-nea.org/. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  3. ^ Mody, Vicky V.; Singh, Ajay N.; Deshmukh, Rahul; Shah, Samit (2015). "Chapter 40 - Thyroid Hormones, Iodine and Iodides, and Antithyroid Drugs". Side Effects of Drugs Annual. 37: 513-519.
  4. ^ "Radioisotopes in medicine". World Nuclear Association. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
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Category:Medical isotopes Category:Medicinal radiochemistry Category:Chemicals in medicine