International Conference on Nuclear Medicine & Radiation Therapy July 14-15, 2016 Cologne, Germany

Nuclear medicine imaging procedures are noninvasive and, with the exception of intravenous injections, are usually painless medical tests that help physicians diagnose and evaluate medical conditions. These imaging scans use radioactive materials called radiopharmaceuticals or radiotracers.Depending on the type of nuclear medicine exam, the radiotracer is either injected into the body, swallowed or inhaled as a gas and eventually accumulates in the organ or area of the body being examined. Radioactive emissions from the radiotracer are detected by a special camera or imaging device that produces pictures and provides molecular information.This track will focus on topics like sonography,functional imaging, optical imaging, multi modal imaging, image -guided therapy.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells. X-rays, gamma rays, and charged particles are types of radiation used for cancer treatment. About half of all cancer patients receive some type of radiation therapy sometime during the course of their treatment. Radiation can come from a machine outside the body (external-beam radiation therapy) or from radioactive material placed in the body near cancer cells (internal radiation therapy, more commonly called brachytherapy). Systemic radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance, given by mouth or into a vein that travels in the blood to tissues throughout the body. The type of radiation therapy prescribed by a radiation oncologist depends on many factors, including: the type of cancer, size of the cancer, cancer’s location in the body, how close the cancer is to normal tissues that are sensitive to radiation, how far into the body the radiation needs to travel, the patient’s general health and medical history, whether the patient will have other types of cancer treatment, other factors, such as the patient’s age and other medical conditions.Topics of discussion in this session are Volumetric modulated arc therapy, 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, Particle therapy, Auger therapy, Brachytherapy, Intraoperative radiotherapy Radioisotope therapy, Image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), Tomotherapy,Stereotactic radiation and Radiosurgery (SBRT, Gamma Knife, and Cyber knife) and Proton therapy.

Diagnostic imaging is the process of creating images of the body, its organs, and other internal structures with external radiation. Diagnostic radiology techniques include the use of X-ray tubes that emit radiation, radionuclides, ultrasonographic devices, and radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation. Diagnostic radiology techniques are generally noninvasive, meaning the body is not entered with any equipment or cut open for imaging. However, certain procedures do combine diagnostic radiology techniques with minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat a condition. In addition, diagnostic radiology is often used to assist during minimally invasive surgery. Different diagnostic scans and procedures are also performed in nuclear medicine. Nuclear medicine utilizes small amounts of radioactive agents, such as thallium or technetium, to examine various organs and their structures. These scans are used to diagnose, manage, and treat medical disorders and diseases.Different types of radiology techniques such as Coronary CT Angiography, Abdomen and Pelvic MRI, Molecular Imaging, Hybrid Imaging, PET/CT, SPECT/CT, Mammography and MRI in Cancer Diagnosis, Ultrasound, Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), will be discussed in this session.

Therapy using unsealed radioactive sources includes treatment of the thyroid (hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer) using radioactive iodine, pain palliation of bone metastasis using radioactive bone seeking agents and others. Much research is under way to develop new radiopharmaceuticals in order to treat different tumors. This page gives information about basic safety considerations for both general and specific therapy.Highlights of this session include adjuvant radiation therapies; combine Radiation Therapies, External beam radiation therapies, targeted Radionuclide Therapy and interventional nuclear medicine.

The Section of Invasive and Interventional Radiology offers cutting-edge diagnostic tests and nonsurgical interventional treatments for patients with atherosclerosis and congenital heart disease. These therapies include the use of stents, angioplasty, intravascular ultrasound, embolic-protection devices and enhanced external counter pulsation (EECP). The main advantages of using the interventional cardiology or radiology approach are the avoidance of the scars and pain, and long post-operative recovery.Topics of discussion in this session are  Adipose-derived regenerative cell therapy, Cardio-pulmonary disorders pulmonary hypertension, Thoracic surgery, heart failure and transplant, Diabetes and heart conditions, Hepatocellular carcinoma Advances in Cardiac CT and Interventional procedures.

Radioiodine therapy is essentially contra-indicated in patients who are known to be pregnant. Radioiodine easily crosses the placenta and the foetal thyroid begins to accumulate iodine at about 10 weeks of gestational age. If radioiodine treatment of thyroid carcinoma is to be performed, it should be delayed until after delivery. If this is done, the physician should also be aware that radioiodine is excreted in breast milk and breast-feeding should be stopped completely after a therapeutic dose. If this is not done the infant may become permanently hypothyroid or be at high risk for subsequent thyroid cancer.This session will discuss about the health concern of women exposed to radiation therapy, especially during the months of pregnancy, topics of discussion will include Gender Biases in Diseases, Pregnancy and Harmful effects of Radiation, Women with Ischemic Heart Disease, Osteoporosis, Gynecologic and Breast Oncologic Imaging, Radiation dose concerns for pregnant and lactating patients.

Imaging has become essential in all aspects of cancer care, from disease detection and characterization, to treatment response assessment and post treatment surveillance. Recent progress in imaging technology has presented new opportunities for improving clinical care. Interventional oncology, employing minimally invasive, image-guided techniques, is assuming an increasingly large role in treating cancer and its complications.This scientific session will focus on various imaging technique and it impact on disease diagnosis such as Fluorescence Imaging Techniques, Digital Mammography & Computer-Aided Detection System, Electrical Impedance Scanning, Nanotechnology based Detection and Tumor Microarrays.

Radiation oncology is a medical specialty that involves treating cancer with radiation. Doctors who specialize in treating cancer with radiation (radiation oncologists) use radiation therapy to treat a wide variety of cancers. Radiation therapy uses carefully targeted and regulated doses of high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells. Radiation causes some cancer cells to die immediately after treatment, but most die because the radiation damages the chromosomes and DNA so that the cells can no longer divide and the tumor can't grow.This scientific session comprises of  different types of cancers and the treatment involving  radiation therapy such as Head and Neck cancers,  Lung cancers, Gastrointestinal cancers, Gynecologic and breast cancers, Hematologic cancers, Hyperthyroidism and Thyroid cancer, Skin Cancer, Cervical cancer, Anal cancer and Prostate cancer.

The dose of x-rays or radioactive materials used in nuclear medicine imaging can vary widely. Dose depends on the type of procedure and body part being examined. In general, the dose of radiopharmaceutical given is small and people are exposed to low levels of radiation during the test. The potential health risks from radiation exposure are low compared with the potential benefits. There are no known long-term adverse effects from such low-dose exposure. Some potential side effects that might occur include: Bleeding, soreness or swelling may develop at the injection site and allergic reactions to the radiopharmaceutical may occur, but are extremely rare.This session will discuss about the Radiation Therapy Side effects, Effects on reproduction, Effects on pituitary system, Radiation therapy accidents, Acute side effects, Cumulative side effects and Late side effects of radiation therapy.

Patient safety is of the utmost concern to radiation oncologists and safety considerations are woven into all aspects of clinical practice. The field of radiation oncology is complex and rapidly evolving, and the safe delivery of radiation therapy requires the coordinated efforts. For every cancer patient, the goal is to treat the disease in the safest and most effective way possible. Patient safety and quality care are inseparable. Comprehensive evaluation prior to therapy, on-going evaluation during therapy and Post treatment evaluation and assessment of side effects.This track will focus on topics like Radiation Dose, Case Reports and Studies, Nuclear Medicine and Children and Role of PET/CT in cancer management.

In medicine, a case report is a detailed report of the symptoms, signs, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of an individual patient. Case reports may contain a demographic profile of the patient, but usually describe an unusual or novel occurrence.Topics of this session are Hematologic case reports, osteoporosis case reports,cancer case reports and autoimmune diseases case reports.

Nuclear medicine uses special type of  imaging devices which are gamma camera and single-photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT). The gamma camera,also called a scintillation camera, detects radioactive energy that is emitted from the patient's body and converts it into an image. The gamma camera does not emit any radiation. The gamma camera is composed of radiation detectors, called gamma camera heads. SPECT involves the rotation of the gamma camera heads around the patient's body to produce more detailed, three-dimensional images, while the PET scanner is a large machine with a round, doughnut shaped hole in the middle, similar to a CT or MRI unit.This session will include discussion on topics like gamma camera, PET scanner

Radiation Therapy is an allied health profession and the concerned therapists administer radiation treatments to cancer patients. They use advanced computer systems to administer radiation treatment to patients. Thay are responsible for monitoring the condition of patients once they started taking the treatment till the end.

Nuclear Medicine 2016 aims to bring all existing and budding entrepreneurs to share experiences and present new innovations and challenges in nuclear medicine community. Each year, over a million companies are started in the world with about 5-10 of them classified as high technology companies. Turning ideas into business is tricky and the opportunity recognition is the most important stage for eastablishment of new venture. This two day event will showcase talks, posters from renowned speakers addressing all the new challenges and advancement in the field of nuclear medicine, radiology and oncology. This session will include cutting edge nuclear medicine research to highlight the advancement in the medical field.