Radiopharmaceutical

A medicinal preparation containing a radionuclide that delivers detectable radiation for diagnosis or radiation to treat disease. Its behavior depends on both the radionuclide and the molecule that carries it.

Radionuclide: An unstable atomic nucleus that emits radiation as it transforms into a more stable state. Its decay supplies the radiation used to detect or treat disease.
Radiochemistry: The chemistry of radioactive substances and their preparation, reactions, and analysis. It provides methods for attaching radionuclides to molecules while preserving useful properties.
Positron emission tomography: A medical imaging technique that detects pairs of photons produced after positron emission and annihilation. PET uses positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals to map physiological and molecular activity.
Diagnostic imaging: The use of techniques that create images of internal structures or biological processes to support diagnosis. Diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals reveal function or molecular activity rather than primarily treating disease.
George de Hevesy: A Hungarian radiochemist who pioneered the use of radioactive isotopes as tracers in biological research. His tracer experiments helped establish the principle behind diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals.
Radiotracer: A radioactive substance used to track a biological process or material through radiation measurements. Diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals act as tracers of biological activity in the body.
Chelation: The binding of a central metal ion by a molecule with multiple coordinating groups. Chelators can hold metallic radionuclides securely within a radiopharmaceutical.
Single-photon emission computed tomography: A three-dimensional imaging technique that reconstructs distributions of gamma-ray-emitting tracers. SPECT commonly images gamma-emitting radiopharmaceuticals within organs and tissues.
External beam radiotherapy: Cancer treatment that directs ionizing radiation from a machine outside the body toward a target. Unlike radiopharmaceutical therapy, it delivers radiation from outside the patient.
Nuclear medicine: A medical specialty that uses radioactive substances for diagnosis, treatment, and research. Radiopharmaceuticals are the central agents used in nuclear medicine procedures.

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