Problems especially for nuclear medicine: better to prevent than to treat.

Problems in nuclear medicine are as follows: There is a unique problem of intense and continuous education regarding new regimens in nuclear medicine, more than in many other clinical specialties. When attending two lectures of 45 min each we usually remember only the first 15-20 min of each lecture. There are countries where the subject of nuclear medicine is either not taught in the medical schools or is taught as part of radiology or imaging or as an optional subject. Research is very important for a fast growing new specialty like nuclear medicine. It was suggested to have in every medical school one professorship for clinical nuclear medicine and another one for research nuclear medicine. There is need for wider availability of modern equipment like PET or PET/CT in many countries. The EANM in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) may propose to the EU measures that will help nuclear medicine. If research finds a way ro label glucose analogs with technetium-99m and this radiopharmaceutical becomes available, PET studies will be largely substituted by the use of SPET cameras. About nuclear cardiology and radiology: are we giving up the best part of our specialty to cardiologists and radiologists for no return? Some colleagues have proposed that nuclear medicine be divided into subspecialties. Following the example of diagnostic radiology and radiotherapy, we could have diagnostic nuclear medicine including nuclear cardiology and therapeutic nuclear medicine. According to Hippocrates: "It's better to prevent than to treat".