NuclearMedicine

All this iswell known in the relatively small circle
ofnuclear oncologists, aprofessionthat seems tohave
a number of entry points and patchy representation

globally. Paganelli says there are more in Europe
with a background in internal medicine, compared
with theUS,where he says nuclearmedicine tends
to be more a branch of radiology. The Netherlands
andGermany are among the stronger countries, he
adds, while pockets of excellence exist in several
places – a case in point is inNantes, France, where
a high-intensity cyclotron is being built, andwhich is
hosting a conference at the end ofMarch:Nuclear
Medicine Tomorrow(seewww.arronax-nantes.fr).
TheEuropeanAssociation ofNuclearMedicine
– appropriately sited in Vienna, home to the InternationalAtomicEnergyAgency
– is an active organisation,
henotes. It establisheda school for continuing
education in 1997 and is forging closer linkswiththe
European Society of Radiology as the crossover
between imaging techniques becomes more pronounced
(although this has courted opposition from
some quarters, not least because nuclear medicine
appears to be stronger inthose countrieswhere ithas
beenallowedto flourishas aphysician-leddiscipline).
Paganelli is just keen to spread messages about
nuclear oncology. “I’mmore likely to attendmeetings
with surgeons and medical oncologists now than
the nuclear medicine events,” he says. He’s also
taken up teaching posts at the universities ofMilan
and Bologna, and is pleased to report that in Italy
there arenowat least10centres routinelydoingwork
introduced atMilan.