Answer to Question #172 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Q

What is the difference between nuclear medicine and health physics?

A

Nuclear medicine is one of the applications of radiation in medicine that is used to diagnose and treat disease. Radioactive materials are given to patients. These materials, called radionuclides, give off radiation which may be detected outside the body after they have been localized in certain organs within the body. The purpose of this type of test is to assess whether body function in these organs is normal or abnormal. The test may also be used to evaluate the structure of the body. One test of this type may be used to detect the presence of a tumor. Radiation may also be used to treat a disease. In nuclear medicine one technique for treating disease is the administration of radioactive iodine to reduce the tissue volume in thyroid abnormalities. Health physics is sometimes called radiation safety. Members of this profession are involved in understanding, evaluating, and controlling the potential risks from radiation relative to the benefits. For more information on health physics you may wish to browse the rest of this Website. The Health Physics Society provides information through its Fact Sheets. You might also learn about a number of different aspects of the field by reading the questions and answers on this "Ask the Expert" feature. For information on nuclear medicine you may wish to visit the Society of Nuclear Medicine website. The Society gives a more detailed definition of nuclear medicine than I did above and also gives you other interesting information about nuclear medicine. If you wish to obtain more information on health physics please contact us again. Thank you for your excellent question. It is one that comes up often. Gen Roessler, Editor HPS website