Radiopharmaceuticals

Radiopharmaceuticals are medicinal radiocompounds (drugs) whose medical function is based on the presence of radioactive isotopes. A broad distinction is made in this group between radiodiagnostics, which are used to detect functional disorders or changes in the body, and radiotherapeutics, which are used to treat diseases. A radiotheranostic agent is an active ingredient that is used diagnostically and therapeutically at the same time.

In medicine, the suitable isotopes are usually referred to as radionuclides; the corresponding medical branch is nuclear medicine. Radiopharmacy or radiopharmacology deals with drugs, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and their production.

The pure isotopes are used as radiopharmaceuticals, but more often chemical compounds labeled with these isotopes or larger molecules (carriers) that are coupled to the isotope.

List of Medical Radionuclides

The radioisotopes are listed in order of increasing atomic number. Column 4 (H) contains information about the production of the isotope: Z = cyclotron, K = nuclear reactor, G = generator.

Radioisotope	Half-life	Decay	H	Application
1	2	3	4	5
Carbon-11 116C	20,364 m	EE, β⁺	Z	PET (brain, thyroid)
Nitrogen-13 137N	9,965 m	β⁺	Z	PET cardiovascular system
Fluorine-18 189F	109,77 m	EE, β⁺	Z	radiodiagnostics
Phosphorus-32 3215P	14,268 d	β^-	K	anti-inflammatory radiotherapeutic agent
Chromium-51 5124Cr	2,704 d	EE, γ	K	radiodiagnostics
Iron-59 5926Fe	44,490 d	β^-, γ	K	radiodiagnostics
Cobalt-57 5727Co	271.74 d	EE, γ	Z	radiodiagnostics
Cobalt-58 5827Co	70,86 d	EE, β⁺, γ	K	radiodiagnostics
Copper-64 6429Cu	12,7006 h	EE, β⁺, β^-	Z, K	PET, tumor diagnostics radiotherapy
Gallium-67 6731Ga	3,2617 d	EE, γ	Z	SPECT inflammation and infections
Gallium-68 6831Ga	67,71 m	EE, β⁺	G	PET tumor detection
Selenium-75 7534Se	119,78 d	EE, γ	K	brachytherapy radiodiagnostics
Krypton-81m 81m36Kr	13,10 s	Iso, γ, (EE)	G	pulmonary function assessment
Strontium-89 8938Sm	50,563 d	β^-	K	pain relieving radiotherapeutic agent
Rubidium-82 8237Rb	1,2575 m	EE, β⁺, γ	G	PET cardiovascular system
Yttrium-90 9039Y	64,05 h	β^-, γ	G	radiotherapy anti-inflammatory
Technetium-99m 99m43Tc	6,0072 h	Iso, γ, (β^-)	G	SPECT
Indium-111 11149I	2,8047 d	EE, γ	Z	SPECT
Iodine-123 12353I	13,2230 h	EE, γ	Z	SPECT
Iodine-124 12453I	4,1760 d	EE, β⁺	Z	PET
Iodine-125 12553I	59,407 d	EE, γ	K	radiodiagnostics radiotherapy
Iodine-131 13153I	8,0252 d	β^-, γ	K	radiotherapy
Xenon-127 12754Xe	3,346 d	EE, γ	K	pulmonary function assessment
Xenon-133 13354Xe	5,2475 d	β^-, γ	K	pulmonary function assessment
Samarium-153 15362Sm	46,284 h	β^-, γ	K	Pain relieving and anti-inflammatory therapeutic agent
Terbium-161 16165Tb	6,89 d	β^- (γ)	K	Experimentell
Dysprosium-165 16566Dy	2,332 d	β^-	K	anti-inflammatory radiotherapeutic agent
Erbium-169 16968Er	9,392 d	β^-	K	anti-inflammatory radiotherapeutic agent
Lutetium-177 17771Lu	6,6443 d	β^-, γ	K	anti-inflammatory radiotherapeutic agent
Rhenium-186 18675Re	3,7185 d	β^-, γ	K	anti-inflammatory radiotherapeutic agent
Rhenium-188 18875Re	17,005 h	β^-, (γ)	G	radiotherapy
Gold-198 19879Au	2,6941 d	β^-, γ	K	anti-inflammatory radiotherapeutic agent
Thallium-201 20181Tl	3,0420 d	β^-, γ	K	SPECT cardiovascular system
Radium-223 22388Ra	11,43 d	α	G	bone metastases
Actinium-225 22589Ac	9,9203 d	α	K	experimentell

Radioisotope

Half-life

Decay

Application

Carbon-11
116C

20,364 m

EE, β⁺

PET
(brain, thyroid)

Nitrogen-13
137N

9,965 m

β⁺

PET
cardiovascular system