An isotope of an element contains the same number of protons, but a different number of neutrons, giving it a different mass number than the element found on the periodic table. Isotopes with a large variation in nucleon number will decay into more stable nuclei, and are known as radionuclides or radioisotopes.
The field of nuclear medicine uses radioisotopes to diagnose and treat patients. The radiation and particles emitted by these radioisotopes can be used to weaken or destroy target cells, for example in the case of cancer. For diagnosis, a radioactive dose is given to a patient and its activity can be tracked to study the functionality of a target organ. The tracers used within this process are generally short-lived isotopes.
Diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals are used to examine organ functionality, blood flow, bone growth and other diagnostic procedures. Radioisotopes needed for this procedure must emit gamma radiation with a high energy and short half-life, in order for it to escape the body and decay quickly. There is currently a trend to use cyclotron-produced isotopes as they are becoming more widely available.
Positron emission tomography (PET) is an imaging technique, using radioisotopes also most often produced with a cyclotron. They are injected into the patient, accumulating in the target tissue, and decays through positron emission. The positron annihilates with an electron nearby which results in the emission to two gamma rays (photons) in opposite directions. A PET camera detects these rays and can determine quantitative information about the target tissue.
Therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals are used to destroy or weaken malfunctioning cells, using a radioisotope localised to a specific organ. This process is called radionuclide therapy (RNT), and uses heavy proton radioisotopes (located on the North-West area of the nuclide chart) that decay through beta or alpha emission.