Nuclear Medicine

Makati Medical Center’s Nuclear Medicine Department is the largest and most advanced general nuclear medicine facility in the Philippines. It offers the latest and the best nuclear medicine diagnostic tests for more accurate diagnoses of medical conditions, such as cancer and diseases of the heart, kidney, bone, intestines, lungs, and thyroid. The department performs RAI (Radioiodine) ablation therapy for thyroid cancer and hyperthyroidism. In collaboration with Interventional Radiology, Nuclear Medicine performs selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) using Yttrium-90 microspheres for the management of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Nuclear Medicine tests employ a very small amount of radioactive tracer dose. These tests are relatively painless, and are among the safest and most sensitive diagnostic tests available. The department has gamma cameras, one with SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) capabilities; gamma well counters, thyroid uptake probe, and radiation dose counters, among others.

The facility has state-of-the-science RIA (radioimmunoassay) and IRMA (immunoradiometric assay) procedures for a more sensitive blood hormone level analysis.