Specialized medical services

In Nuclear Medicine , we are in charge of diagnostic nuclear medicine and treatment using radiopharmaceuticals. Diagnostic nuclear medicine is a method of evaluating a patient's condition by administering a radiopharmaceutical and externally measuring the in-vivo kinetics over time. Currently, we are using three PET-CT scanners, two SPECT-CT scanners and two SPECT scanners. Diagnostic nuclear medicine is used for a broad range of disorders, including the heart, brain, malignant tumors, respiratory organs, digestive organs, kidneys and urinary tract, endocrine disorders, and bone joints. In particular, it can make the diagnosis of conditions or functions which cannot be detected by conventional morphological imaging modalities. In recent years, the range of diseases for nuclear medicine therapy is expanding. Currently, we can provide 90Y-labeled antibody therapy for CD20-positive recurrent low-grade B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and radium chloride (Ra-223) treatment for castration-resistant prostate cancer with bone metastasis.

Features

Osaka University Hospital has a compact cyclotron for medical use, which synthesizes radiopharmaceuticals for PET examinations. Cancer cells consume abundant glucose to proliferate. For this reason, F-18 fluoro-deoxy-glucose (FDG), a radioactive glucose analogue, accumulates very highly in malignant tumors. These sites with abnormal accumulation can be evaluated with PET, enabling early diagnosis of cancer, evaluation of therapeutic effect, and detection of the recurrence. Our department currently conducts over 2,200 FDG-PET examinations annually for all malignant tumors other than early stomach cancer. Recently, FDG-PET can be used for evaluating the activity of large vasculitis, such as Takayasu's arteritis. We also perform quantitative assessment of cerebral blood flow, cerebral oxygen consumption and cerebral oxygen extraction fraction using O-15 gas PET, and quantitative myocardial blood flow measurement using ammonia PET as examinations under health insurance. We are also working to develop new radiopharmaceuticals and performing clinical research. The distribution of the drugs can be evaluated in individual patients, contributing to diagnosis and therapeutic prognosis.

Considerations in referring your patients to Nuclear Medicine

General nuclear medicine examinations and PET examinations are performed at the request of the attending physician of each department, and direct referrals to nuclear medicine departments are not accepted. For referrals of patients for nuclear medicine examinations, please contact each medical department. For nuclear medicine treatment outpatients (in the Oncology Center), a reservation is available through the referring doctor of the main department. Please consult the main department of each disease.