Tracer principle is the basis of radionuclide application including molecular imaging and therapy which means that the very low amount of radionuclides doesn’t cause allergic or pharmacological reactions. Therefore, nuclear medicine is safe, highly sensitive, specific and smart. Radiotracers serve to visualize physiology and specific changes in blood flow, metabolism as well as transporter or receptor state depending on disease and its genesis. Clinical applications of Glucose (FDG-)PET characterise unclear lesions via metabolism, define tumor extension for adequate therapy and monitor the influence of various treatment modalities on tumor viability. The combination of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches is called “theranostics” – radiotracer tumor accumulation for imaging and therapy. The combination of internal and external radiotherapy (CIERT) is a promising approach comparable to the combination of chemotherapy and irradiation therapy. Nuclear medicine provides cancer therapy with special focus on thyroid carcinoma for more than 70 years while more recent developments address neuroendocrine tumors and prostate cancer.
In addition local expertise focusses on micro- and biodosimetry of unsealed radionuclides (including Auger electrons and alpha-emitters) with multiple radiobiological tests and the modification of DNA damage by various medications.
