IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR RADIONUCLIDE DOSIMETRY

Targeted radionuclide therapy is becoming an increasingly popular trea tment modality as an alternative or as an adjunct to external beam rad iotherapy and chemotherapy. The present method of dosimetry based on t he MIRD system requires measurements of the concentration of the radio nuclide in the target and risk tissues and the effective half-life of the radionuclide in these tissues. Radionuclide imaging techniques inc luding planar scintigraphy, rectilinear scanning, single-photon emissi on computed tomography and positron emission tomography have all been used to provide data from which this information can be obtained. Addi tionally anatomical imaging has been used to aid these estimates. This paper reviews the application of imaging technology and methodology t o radionuclide dosimetry.