REVIEW ABOUT RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS: PREPARATION, RADIOACTIVITY, AND APPLICATIONS

In the recent few decades, there was a growth in the field of radioactive medicinal agents called radiopharmaceuticals. Radiopharmaceuticals are consisting of radioactive materials called radioisotopes. Radiopharmaceuticals were recently used in both therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. More than 100 radioactive substances are used in nuclear medicine. According to the decay of radioactive substances, there are three types of radioactive decays, alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma radiations. Alpha particles consist of two protons and two neutrons with large mass and charge so it has no penetration power into the skin and has a destructive effect. Beta particles have less charge and less mass so, they can penetrate the tissue and have a less destructive effect than alpha particles and can be used in therapy. Gamma radiations have no mass or charge so they can penetrate the deep tissue of organs so used in diagnosis by imaging using a gamma camera. The radiopharmaceuticals were established in the diagnostic purpose and treatment of several diseases as thyroid gland cancer, hyperthyroidism, bone pain metastasis, kidney dysfunction, and myocardial and cerebral perfusion. The radioactive substance can also be used in the sterilization of thermo-labile substances as syringes, catheters, vitamins, hormones, and surgical dressing. The field of nuclear medicine has several advantages as localization of tumors, safe diagnosis, no accumulation of radiation, and high therapeutic efficacy. Nowadays, the branch of nuclear pharmacy is directed to introduce new radioactive pharmaceutical agents which will be important and effective in the treatment of cancer. The growth in the field of radiopharmaceuticals is important to help millions of patients suffering from tumors all over the world. The data of this review were collected by searching in Google Scholar and PubMed using the following keywords.

Epidemiological aspects of the prevalence of thyroid cancer in the Azerbaijan Republic over the period of 2009-2015

Analysis of the prevalence of thyroid gland cancer (TGC) of the population of Azerbaijan over the period 2009-2015 showed a relatively unfavorable situation, as evidenced by the steady rise in the morbidity rate of this nosology. Over 7 years, there was noted the gain in coefficients of extensivity and intensity of the given pathology among the population of the Republic. Prevalence factor for TGC has increased till 2015 by almost 2 times (11.7 0/0000 vs. 5.20/0000). The peak of the incidence corresponds to the age group of 50-59 years (0.60/0000). Five-year survival for this nosology has tended to the decrease, and varied in the range of from 36.3% to 29.0%.

Neutron and Neutron-Photon Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer

The study group comprised 124 patients with salivary gland cancer and 46 patients with thyroid gland cancer who received the combined modality treatment and radiotherapy alone with the use of 6.3 MeV fast neutrons generated within U-120 cyclotron. The combined modality treatment and radiation therapy with the use of fast neutrons allow encouraging long-term results to be achieved for patients with salivary and thyroid gland cancers.