Ensuring the Safety and Accuracy of Radiation Medicine: The Role of Medical Physicists

In nuclear medicine and radiology, what are the risks of carrying out a procedure without the presence of a qualified medical physicist and without adequate guidelines? • The patient may receive an incorrect dose which can jeopardize the success of the medical treatment or the quality of diagnosis; • The medical staff and the public might be in danger of radiation exposure; • In extreme cases, the procedure could lead to a serious accident. Globally, over 10 000 hospitals use radioisotopes in medicine, with almost 90 per cent for diagnostic procedures. Nuclear medicine technologies, both for treatment and diagnostic imaging for diseases such as cancer or cardiovascular diseases, are being constantly developed and deployed globally in health care systems