The British Nuclear Medicine Society celebrates its 50th Anniversary with this booklet, which reflects the research of many of the pioneers in the use of radionuclides for the diagnosis and therapy of human disease. Since 1949 there have been remarkable advances in radionuclide techniques and imaging equipment: from the first devices “home-made” in the many physics departments throughout the UK, to the sophisticated multimodality imagers now in everyday use in Nuclear Medicine. The BNMS has been instrumental in promoting the use of radionuclide techniques in the investigation of pathology by supporting and providing education, research and guidelines on the optimum use of radiation to help patients. The future of Nuclear Medicine is bright, thanks to improved imaging resolution, new radiopharmaceuticals, and new diagnostic and therapeutic techniques and procedures.

The British Nuclear Medicine Society celebrates its 50th Anniversary with this booklet, which reflects the research of many of the pioneers in the use of radionuclides for the diagnosis and therapy of human disease. Since 1949 there have been remarkable advances in radionuclide techniques and imaging equipment: from the first devices “home-made” in the many physics departments throughout the UK, to the sophisticated multimodality imagers now in everyday use in Nuclear Medicine. The BNMS has been instrumental in promoting the use of radionuclide techniques in the investigation of pathology by supporting and providing education, research and guidelines on the optimum use of radiation to help patients. The future of Nuclear Medicine is bright, thanks to improved imaging resolution, new radiopharmaceuticals, and new diagnostic and therapeutic techniques and procedures.

The most frequently requested investigation in any nuclear medicine department remains the technetium-99m (99mTc)-labelled diphosphonate bone scan. Despite rapid advances in all imaging modalities. there has been no serious challenge to the role of bone scanning in the evaluation of the skeleton. The main reason for this is the exquisite sensitivity of the bone scan for lesion detection. combined with clear visualisation of the whole skeleton. In recent years several new diphosphonate agents have become available with claims for superior imaging of the skeleton. Essentially. they all have higher affinity for bone. thus allowing the normal skeleton to be visualised all the more clearly. However. as will be dis cussed. this may occur at some cost to the principal role of bone scanning. lesion detection. The major strength of nuclear medicine is its ability to provide functional and physiological information. With bone scanning this leads to high sensitivity for focal disease if there has been any disturbance of skeletal metabolism. However. in many other clinical situations. and particularly in metabolic bone disease. more generalised alteration in skeletal turnover may occur. and quantitation of diphosphonate uptake by the skeleton can provide valuable clinical information.

Nuclear cardiac imaging is the diagnostic technique of using radiology and chemical markers to track cardiac performance. These imaging studies provide a wide range of information about the heart, including how much the heart contracts, the amount of blood supply to the heart and whether parts of the heart muscle are alive or dead. This is essential information for cardiologists, and nuclear imaging has become an increasingly important part of the cardiologist's armoury of diagnostic techniques. Iskandrian's text has become a leading book in the field and the fourth edition will continue the tradition. The text is updated throughout to reflect the many advances in the field, and, as a new feature, each chapter concludes with a question and answer session on important and difficult clinical issues.

Drawing on the authors' extensive experience in the processing and disposal of waste, An Introduction to Nuclear Waste Immobilisation, Second Edition examines the gamut of nuclear waste issues from the natural level of radionuclides in the environment to geological disposal of waste-forms and their long-term behavior. It covers all-important aspects of processing and immobilization, including nuclear decay, regulations, new technologies and methods. Significant focus is given to the analysis of the various matrices used, especially cement and glass, with further discussion of other matrices such as bitumen. The final chapter concentrates on the performance assessment of immobilizing materials and safety of disposal, providing a full range of the resources needed to understand and correctly immobilize nuclear waste.

Radiotherapy remains a major non-surgical treatment modality for malignant disease, and an understanding of how this treatment works is essential in ensuring optimum practice. Trainees in oncology learn about ionising radiation, but to understand it fully they must also understand the physics relevant to its use in therapy. This book is written specifically for the oncology and radiation team, supporting clinical oncologists in their understanding of the science which underpins radiotherapy. It begins with basic concepts and then explores the principles and practice of physics as it relates to radiotherapy, including discussion of specific types of therapy. Written by authors chosen for their expertise in in their respective fields, and aligned to the Royal College of Radiologists FRCR Curriculum in Oncology, this volume will provide an excellent source of information for trainee and practicing oncologists, and wider radiotherapy teams. This second edition has been fully updated to reflect advances in technology and the increased complexity in modern radiotherapy, including two new chapters on imaging and a new brachytherapy chapter.