Nuclear medicine is a medical specialty that uses radioisotopes and their related agents for the diagnosis, treatment, and research of human diseases. Nuclear medicine provides noninvasive assessment of organ function and quantitative information at the molecular and cellular level and has seen rapid and significant advancements in oncology, cardiology and neurology over the past decades. In recent years, “theranostics”- combining a pair of radiopharmaceuticals containing radionuclides for diagnosis and therapy, has been the cutting-edge approach for precise treatment of cancers.
The Nuclear Medicine Department of Kaohsiung Veterans General hospital is located on the first floor of the medical building, equipped with gamma cameras, SPECT/CT and PET/CT for nuclear imaging, dedicated shield treatment unit for radioisotope treatment, and laboratory for radioimmunoassay tests. We are composed of 22 members including physicians, imaging and lab technicians, nurses and administration staff, performing more than 10,000 imaging services, 150 radioisotope therapies, and 100,000 radioimmunoassay tests per year. We are engaged in research activities and publications, and we also provide training programs for undergraduate and postgraduate medical students, residency and radiologic technology students that is qualified by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
In order to improve the quality of medical services, our department continues to pursue progress and implementing patient-centered service We have achieved ISO-50001 accreditation, and also won the "Atomic Energy Safety Excellence Award" issued by the Atomic Energy Commission.