diff between Rad Onc & Nuclear Med?

[bjolly]

what exactly is the difference between these fields? please pardon my ignorance.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[stephew]

Nuc med tends to focus on the imaging using nuclear physics- you do MRI, PET, and the like. Its more diagnostic. Rad onc is using radiaiton to treat (mostly) cancer. some overlap exists like with treatment using radiolabed antibodies for cancer (which I do believe should be a rad onc issue).

 

[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

Nuclear medicine is an imaging specialty focusing on those imaging modalities performed after administration of radioactive particles. Radiologists receive 6 months of Nuc med training during residency and can do all of the same procedures. They can also do a nuc med fellowship.

Nuclear medicine specialists do not read MR (nothing nuclear there, just magnets), CT or radiographs. This puts them at a disadvantge in for private practice jobs since the volume of nucs is not big enough for many hospitals so they hire radiologists who can do nucs and more. Academics has more pure nucs folks. Not the best market.

Radiation oncology uses radiation, either directly applied (brachytherapy) or external beam to treat mostly cancers but also some non malignant conditions. Great specialty with lots of carrer opportunities, research (even in private practice), money, and great lifestyle, all while still seeing patients in clinic.

In summary: Very separate specialties.

 

[stephew]

youre right of course. I don't know why I mentioned the MRI there. My bad.
Steph