Kuwabara Yasuo, Koizumi Kiyoshi, Ushijima Yo, Kinuya Seigo, Kinomura Shigeo, Suga Kazuyoshi, Takeoka Hiroko, Takeda Tohru, Toyama Hiroshi, Arao Yasuo, Nishiyama Yoshihiro, Murakami Kouji, Morita Koichi
Department of Radiology, Fukuoka University Hospital, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Johnan-ku, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan.
Ann Nucl Med. 2009 Feb;23(2):209-15. doi: 10.1007/s12149-008-0214-4. Epub 2009 Feb 19.
The Subcommittee on the Survey of Nuclear Medicine Practice in Japan has performed a nationwide survey of nuclear medicine practice every 5 years since 1982 to provide detailed information on its present status.
Questionnaires were sent to all institutions known to the Japan Radioisotope Association to conduct nuclear medicine examinations. The questionnaires addressed the number and kind of nuclear medicine examinations performed as well as the kind and dose of the radiopharmaceuticals used during the month of June 2007. The annual number of total or specific examinations was then estimated.
Of the institutions sent questionnaires, 1219 were for in vivo study, 49 for in vitro study, and 212 for positron emission tomography (PET) study. Of these, 92.2% provided answers. A total of 1569 gamma cameras were installed in 1119 institutions, of which 70% were dual-head cameras. The estimated total annual number of in vivo examinations expressed by the number of administered radiopharmaceuticals was 1.41 million, representing a decrease of 11.5% when compared with that of the previous survey (2002). The frequency of study with respect to single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) slightly increased to 42.3% from 39.9% in the previous survey. The most frequently performed scintigraphy was bone (38.3%), followed by myocardium (26.2%) and brain perfusion (14.1%). Brain perfusion scintigraphy slightly increased, whereas tumor scintigraphy decreased by one-half when compared with the previous survey. The most commonly used radiopharmaceutical for each scintigraphy was (99m)Tc-HMDP for bone, thallium-201 ((201)Tl)-chloride for myocardium, gallium-67 ((67)Ga)-citrate for tumor, and technetium-99m-ethylcysteinate dimmer ((99m)Tc-ECD) for brain. The number of PET institutes increased from 36 to 212. (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG)-PET dramatically increased 14.8-fold during the past 5 years. Radionuclide therapy also increased. (131)I therapy for thyroid cancer and hyperthyroidism was conducted yearly in 2373 and 4146 patients, respectively. A total of 13.1 million in vitro radioassays were carried out yearly, the number of which has been decreasing continuously since 1992.
It was proved that the content of nuclear medicine practice in Japan has changed considerably in the past 5 years. Namely, (18)F-FDG-PET and radionuclide therapy increased. This report might be useful for understanding the present trends of nuclear medicine practice in Japan.
自1982年以来，日本核医学实践调查小组委员会每5年在全国范围内开展一次核医学实践调查，以提供有关其现状的详细信息。
向日本放射性同位素协会所知的所有进行核医学检查的机构发送问卷。问卷涉及2007年6月进行的核医学检查的数量和种类，以及所用放射性药物的种类和剂量。然后估算每年的总检查次数或特定检查次数。
在发送问卷的机构中，1219家用于体内研究，49家用于体外研究，212家用于正电子发射断层扫描（PET）研究。其中，92.2%提供了答复。1119家机构共安装了1569台伽马相机，其中70%为双头相机。以施用的放射性药物数量表示的每年体内检查估计总数为141万次，与上一次调查（2002年）相比减少了11.5%。单光子发射计算机断层扫描（SPECT）的研究频率从上次调查的39.9%略有增加至42.3%。最常进行的闪烁扫描是骨扫描（38.3%），其次是心肌扫描（26.2%）和脑灌注扫描（14.1%）。与上次调查相比，脑灌注闪烁扫描略有增加，而肿瘤闪烁扫描减少了一半。每种闪烁扫描最常用的放射性药物分别是用于骨扫描的（99m）Tc-HMDP、用于心肌扫描的氯化铊（（201）Tl）、用于肿瘤扫描的枸橼酸镓（（67）Ga）和用于脑扫描的锝-99m-二巯基丁二酸半胱氨酸（（99m）Tc-ECD）。PET机构的数量从36家增加到212家。（18）F-氟脱氧葡萄糖（（18）F-FDG）-PET在过去5年中急剧增加了14.8倍。放射性核素治疗也有所增加。分别有2373例和4146例患者每年接受用于甲状腺癌和甲状腺功能亢进症的（131）I治疗。每年共进行1310万次体外放射分析，自1992年以来其数量一直在持续下降。
事实证明，在过去5年中，日本核医学实践的内容发生了相当大的变化。即，（18）F-FDG-PET和放射性核素治疗增加。本报告可能有助于了解日本核医学实践的当前趋势。
