[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 20731]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         NUCLEAR MEDICINE WEEK

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today to remind my colleagues that 
this week is Nuclear Medicine Week. Nuclear Medicine Week is the first 
week in October every year and is an annual celebration initiated by 
the Society of Nuclear Medicine. Each year, Nuclear Medicine Week is 
celebrated internationally at hospitals, clinics, imaging centers, 
educational institutions, corporations, and more.
  I am particularly proud to note that the Society of Nuclear Medicine 
is headquartered in Reston, VA. The Society of Nuclear Medicine is an 
international scientific and professional organization of more than 
15,000 members dedicated to promoting the science, technology and 
practical applications of nuclear medicine. I commend the society staff 
and its professional members for their outstanding work in the field of 
nuclear medicine and for their dedication to caring for people with 
cancer and other serious and life-threatening illnesses.
  Some of the more frequently performed nuclear medicine procedures 
include: bone scans to examine orthopedic injuries, fractures, tumors 
or unexplained bone pain; heart scans to identify normal or abnormal 
blood flow to the heart muscle, measure heart function or determine the 
existence or extent of damage to the heart muscle after a heart attack; 
breast scans that are used in conjunction with mammograms to detect and 
locate cancerous tissue in the breasts; liver and gallbladder scans to 
evaluate liver and gallbladder function; cancer imaging to detect 
tumors; treatment of thyroid diseases and certain types of cancer; 
brain imaging to investigate problems within the brain itself or in 
blood circulation to the brain; and renal imaging in children to 
examine kidney function.
  I thank all of those who serve in this very important medical field 
and join them in celebrating Nuclear Medicine Week.

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