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Clinical Associate Professor, Pharmacy Practice Department of Pharmacy Practice School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Department of Nuclear Medicine School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences University at Buffalo Buffalo, New York
| Edited by Michael J Welsh and Carol S Redvanly. Published by John Wiley
& Sons Inc., Chichester, England, 2003. ISBN 0-471-49560-3. Clothbound,
xvi + 848 pp. (25.5 x 19.5 cm), $145.
www.wiley.com
|
Published Online, October 3, 2003. www.theannals.com, DOI 10.1345/aph.1D141
Although not formally divided into sections, the book presents 3 natural groupings of chapters. The first 3 chapters discuss production of radioisotopes in accelerators and reactors. The next 10 chapters deal with the chemistry of various isotopes, with several chapters devoted to a single isotope and an additional chapter on synthetic processes, including automated modules. The chapters in this grouping vary somewhat in their focus. Some chapters delve in considerable detail into pathways for isotope production, relative yields, and contaminants. Others discuss available radiopharmaceuticals, although this is admittedly likely due to the nature of the isotopes themselves. All chapters are richly referenced and perhaps will be most useful to practicing radiochemists, but nuclear pharmacists, particularly those working closely with production and synthesis of PET radiopharmaceuticals, will also find the material useful. While this section reflects the bias toward PET tracers (more space is devoted to 15O and 13N than to 99mTc, a "workhorse isotope"), the chapters on single-photon emittors are generally well written. One disappointment is the chapter on iodine radionuclides. Given the rich history of radioiodine, both in clinical medicine and in labeling and biodistribution work, it was surprising to see relatively little space devoted to the topic. As with technetium, however, this is likely due to the extensive coverage given to iodine in other sources. Alternatively, a chapter is devoted to radiobromine, isotopes which are uncommonly used in nuclear medicine.
The third grouping presents applications of tracers, beginning with monitoring of gene therapy. This is followed by 2 indispensable chapters on quantification and receptor binding. These chapters might flow better for some readers if the order were reversed. The chapter dealing with cardiac imaging spends little time on conventional tracers of flow and metabolism, instead giving a very refreshing overview of cardiac receptor imaging. Chapters 19-21 cover neuroreceptor imaging. Each of these chapters stands alone in their content, with all 3 written by true leaders in the area of receptor imaging. Henry Wagner, in particular, has been at the forefront of both development of the technology and application to the assessment of pharmacologic interventions in the brain. Of these 3 chapters, only Chapter 21 (Dynamic Neurotransmitter Interactions Measured with PET) covers material not available extensively elsewhere. The next subsection covers tumor imaging, beginning with an overview of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) work. Very little new material is presented on FDG, but subsequent chapters covering antibody and peptide labeling for cancer research are very extensive, with the radiotherapy chapter presenting a refreshing review of a category of agents covered too infrequently in the literature (although it is oddly placed out of sequence from the other chapters dealing with oncology). Two final chapters are included on pulmonary imaging and a chapter combining renal and hepatic imaging. Both accurately reflect the state of the art in imaging these organs.
Overall, this is a unique text that generally lives up to its goals. Areas that should be considered for future editions include regulatory aspects of both Food and Drug Administration acceptance of surrogates and regulation of PET tracer production plus the investigational new drug process for short half-lived radiotracers. Although the text demands a basic understanding of imaging principles and radiopharmacy, it is likely to serve as a very competent reference for anyone wishing to immerse themselves into the world of radiopharmaceuticals.
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