Nuclear Medicine

Patients can come to the Nuclear Medicine department for diagnostics and treatment. 

Diagnostics

We offer several different examinations for diagnostics at the Nuclear Medicine department. Usually, the radioactive substances will be administered intravenously by injection. Some examinations, like the sentinel node biopsy, require us to administer the radioactive substance near the tumor. 

Treatment

Certain tumors can be treated with radioactive substances. This is called internal radiation treatment. The substances are administered intravenously, though IV. Some people can take the radioactive substances orally, as a pill. 

After administering the radioactive substances we will take pictures using special scanners. This gives us an image of your organs or organ systems. We use this to detect cancer and metastases or to determine whether your treatment is effective. We have gamma cameras, PET/CT scans, and other advanced techniques available to use.

The kinds of preparations necessary for you will depend on the type of procedure you are having done. You may be asked to follow a specific diet, or adjust your medication. We will give you more information in writing or over the phone.

we regularly treat patients with radioactive substances at the Nuclear Medicine department. Some cancer types that we treat are thyroid cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, prostate cancer, and painful bone metastases. If treatment at our department may be suitable for you, we will inform you about it by telling you about the goal of the treatment, what you can expect, what kinds of side effects you may experience, and which guidelines you will have to follow during the various phases of your treatment.

• Our team is closely involved in the diagnostics and treatment of all cancer types. We tie in with the main research lines at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, with a special focus on breast cancer, melanoma, bladder and prostate tumors, and neuroendocrine tumors.
• Realizing new developments in diagnostics and treatment is important to us. For decades we have contributed to the development and introduction of new technology and the use of new radioactive substances to detect cancer, like Gallium-PSMA for prostate cancer, Gallium-dotatate for neuroendocrine tumors, and radioactive Zirconium-labeled substances for various types of cancer. The department plays a leading role in the development and implementation of new radioactive substances.
• We often collaborate with hospitals in the region that refer patients to us. We also play a role in training specialists and medical nuclear specialists.