Nuclear medicine uses tiny amounts of radioactive material for precise and painless diagnosis and treatment. Nuclear medicine is also called molecular imaging and therapy.

We’ve provided nuclear medicine since the 1960s, when we began offering radioactive iodine therapy. Today we offer:

• The only PET/MRI scanner in Oregon
• State-of-the-art technology
• Radiologists who specialize in reading nuclear medicine scans and using them to help plan treatment
• A team of medical physicists who help provide advanced treatments that aren’t widely available
• Expertise in theranostics, a type of care that tailors imaging and treatment to you

We see patients of all ages.

What it’s used for

Your doctor may recommend nuclear medicine to diagnose or treat:

• Brain (neurologic) conditions
• Cancer
• Heart (cardiac) conditions
• Neuroendocrine conditions, which affect the nervous and endocrine systems
• Thyroid conditions

How it works

We place a bit of radioactive material inside your body. We may call this material a tracer, isotope or radiopharmaceutical. It gives off radiation that we use to create images or use in treatment.

With theranostics, we create a custom care plan that combines diagnosis and treatment. We use a tracer to see which cells in your body need treatment. Then we use a therapy tracer to target those cells.

Before your appointment

You’ll get instructions from our staff and through MyChart. Please follow them, or we may have to reschedule your scan. If you have questions, please call us at 503-494-8468.

Please let us know if you are:

• Pregnant or think you may be pregnant
• Not able to lie still longer than a few minutes

In some cases, you may get your tracer a few hours or days before your scan. You’ll most likely get it by IV. Tracers can also be inhaled or swallowed as a pill or liquid.

If you’re anxious about being in our scanner, you can ask your doctor to prescribe medication to help you relax. In that case, please bring someone to drive you home.

At your appointment

You’ll be asked to take off any items, including jewelry, that may disrupt the scan. If you need to take off clothing, you’ll get a gown.

You’ll get your tracer, if you haven’t already.

You’ll lie down on a table that moves in and out of the tunnel-shaped scanner. We have cushions for comfort.

In some cases, you may have multiple scans over several hours or days. If you are having scans over several days, you can go home in between.

After your appointment

Drink more water than usual for 24 to 48 hours to help flush the tracer from your body. Most tracers leave your body within a day. When you have nuclear medicine for diagnosis, you do not need to avoid other people afterward.

If you had an IV, let us know about any pain, redness or swelling where it was placed.

You’ll usually get results through MyChart within 24 to 48 hours.

Before your treatment

We’ll schedule an in-person or virtual visit with a doctor to discuss your treatment plan. When you have nuclear medicine for treatment, you’ll get instructions for keeping others safe from the radiation you’ll have.

During your treatment

Your treatment is designed for you. How long your treatment takes and how much radiation you get will vary.

After your treatment

You’ll usually get results through MyChart within 24 to 48 hours.

Do you use contrast dye for nuclear medicine?

No. We use radioactive tracers, which are not dyes or medications.

Does nuclear medicine have any side effects?

It depends.

If you have nuclear medicine to help with a diagnosis, you won’t feel pain or have other symptoms.

If you have nuclear medicine for treatment, you may have side effects. We will discuss those with you before treatment.

What are your hours?

We provide imaging and treatment between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. weekdays.