Thirty years from now: future physics contributions in nuclear medicine

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Nuclear Medicine Imaging

Background:

• This paper is the first in a series of invited perspectives by pioneers in nuclear medicine imaging and physics.
• It offers a forward-looking view from a medical physicist's perspective on the contributions of physics to nuclear medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the historical and future contributions of physics to nuclear medicine.
• To propose a skill set for future medical physicists in the evolving field of molecular imaging.

Main Methods:

• Review of key developments in nuclear medicine.
• Analysis of the role of physics in these advancements.
• Postulation of future trends based on current trajectories.

Main Results:

• Physics has been integral to numerous developments in nuclear medicine.
• Future advancements will likely involve personalized diagnostics and therapies.
• The field is moving towards 'Molecular Imaging' with increasing complexity.

Conclusions:

• A shift in the medical physicist's role is anticipated, moving from instrumentation quality assurance to radiobiology and human disease understanding.
• The next generation of medical physicists will require new skills to navigate the complexities of molecular imaging.
• Physics will continue to drive innovation in personalized medical diagnostics and therapies.