In current healthcare settings, nuclear medicine has become an important tool for aiding patients. Despite the dangers associated with the use of radioactive elements, through their application in diagnostics and treatment, it is possible to limit their harm and enhance their benefits. In particular, these types of tools are invaluable when working on treating various types of cancer. For example, lymphoma, as the type of cancer that affects the body’s blood system, usually requires the use of nuclear medicine. Before any treatment is administered, molecular imaging is used to determine the diagnosis and the severity of the disease. Compared to other types of imaging, it enables doctors and physicians to examine patients on the deepest of levels and detect the presence of cancer and other disturbances (“Fact sheet: Molecular imaging and lymphoma,” n.d.). From that point onward, nuclear medicine serves as a tool for healing or managing the patient’s condition. Both chemotherapy and radiation therapy are widely used. These methods utilize either medicine or energy beams that are capable of attacking the cancer cells or managing their spread. Naturally, even these types of treatment are not always effective, and the ability of doctors to use them hinges on the patient’s response. However, it is undeniable that the application of radioactive and nuclear elements gives individuals more opportunities to live fulfilling lives.
Throughout this course, I was able to learn about a number of different treatment and diagnostics methods, as well as understand the development of the medical sphere in the past decades. I think that this knowledge gave me a newfound appreciation for researchers and doctors that strove to improve the tools at their disposal and create approaches capable of fighting even chronic diseases. In terms of my own everyday life, this knowledge helps me understand that concepts like harm or benefit are not always black and white, and many things that are inherently dangerous can be used responsibly. This applies to both medicine and all other kinds of human activity.
Reference
Fact sheet: Molecular imaging and lymphoma. (n.d.). Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). Web.