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Radiology

Radiolgical sciences are based on physical and biological sciences and complement the basic sciences taught in medical school. Faculty investigate various physical, chemical and biological systems. Specific research areas include radiopharmaceutical development, investigation of new radioactive drugs for therapy and diagnosis, and the development of new imaging systems.

Faculty participate in the School of Medicine's problem-based curriculum as group facilitators and in introduction to patient care as faculty and preceptors. Students can take a four-week radiology elective to gain clinical experience in radiographic examination and interpretation, radiation therapy and nuclear medicine. Other elective courses include radioisotopes in medicine and biology, introductory radiation biology and problems in radiological science.

Divisions in the department include:

• Diagnostic Radiology
• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiation Oncology

In diagnostic radiology, radiography, fluoroscopy, ultrasound, computerized axial tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are used to view body structure and function in living subjects. These radiologic techniques provide essential diagnostic and clinical information for patient care and augment methods used by anatomists, physiologists and pathologists. Specialized techniques in angiography, pharmacoradiology and video recording enhance radiologic demonstration of disease.

Radiation oncology is a clinical service that deals exclusively with the therapeutic use of radiation to treat cancer and other neoplastic diseases. Radiation oncology facilities at Ellis Fischel Cancer Center occupy 11,000 square feet and include two dual-energy linear accelerators, a simulator, a treatment-planning computer and a stereotactic radiosurgery unit. Multidisciplinary clinical tumor conferences are held in conjunction with other surgical and medical specialties, such as surgical oncology, otolaryngology, gynecologic oncology, thoracic oncology and gastrointestinal oncology. Radiation oncologists at MU are very active in national clinical cancer trials. They participate in Pediatric Oncology Group, National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, Gynecologic Oncology Group, and Cancer and Leukemia Group B.

Nuclear medicine encompasses the clinical use of radioisotopes for diagnosis, therapy and investigation of disease processes. Radiologists use radionuclides as tracers to determine sites of localization and deposition, spaces and volumes, metabolic rate and turnover, and flow and circulation.

Specific radiopharmaceuticals are being developed to scan patients and delineate organs, lesions and tumors. In vitro tests analyze body fluids as well as organic materials ingested or injected. Higher-activity radionuclides are administered to patients as internal sources of radiation to treat hyperactive organs and systems, neoplasms and metastases.

Last Updated 7/22/10

     

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