Not long ago, most patients suspected of having coronary artery disease were whisked to the hospital for a cardiac catheterization procedure. Today, more patients than not first have a nuclear cardiology study to see if catheterization is necessary.

Nuclear cardiology, or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), has become the fastest growing nuclear medicine study out there. Its usefulness accounts for its increasing popularity, physicians say. But easier access to nuclear cardiology tools also plays a role. Previously the domain of hospitals, nuclear cardiology gamma cameras are shifting into cardiology offices, making the procedure more comfortable and efficient for doctors and patients.

Though not as common as nuclear cardiology, cardiac positron emission tomography, or cardiac PET, is experiencing even faster growth. Considered the gold standard in determining cardiac muscle viability, cardiac PET is hampered by its high cost. But more favorable Medicare reimbursement already is helping PET gain ground, especially in cardiology offices.

SPECT Popularity
Nuclear medicine was first popular among oncologists looking for tumors in bones and soft tissues. But about 25 years ago, a new test called myocardial perfusion using Thallium 201 launched nuclear cardiology’s popularity. Doctors now could noninvasively assess the heart cells’ physiology to determine whether the muscle was still viable after a heart attack.

John C. Thomas, marketing manager for nuclear medicine and PET at Siemens Medical Solutions (Iselin, N.J.), says nuclear cardiology is the only nuclear medicine area still growing in the United States. “Other areas are plateauing or even scaling down in utilization, while nuclear cardiology has grown at a double-digit rate every year for the last five years,” Thomas says. He estimates that nuclear cardiology scans account for half of all nuclear medicine scans performed today.

Please refer to the June 2002 issue for the complete story. For information on article reprints, contact Martin St. Denis