Table 1.
Properties of selected diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclides. Some low abundance emissions have been omitted for clarity. β+: positron emission, γ: gamma ray emission, PET: positron emission tomography, and SPECT: single-photon emission computed tomography.
| Radionuclide | Half-life | Decay mode | Energy (keV) | Max range in tissue | Major application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18F | 1.83 h | β+ (97%) | 633 | PET | |
| 11C | 20.4 min | β+ (99.8%) | 960 | PET | |
| 68Ga | 1.1 h | β+ (88%) | 1899 | PET | |
| 89Zr | 3.3 d | β+ (23%) | 897 | PET | |
| 64Cu | 12.7 h | β+ (17.8%) | 653 | PET | |
| 124I | 4.17 d | β+ (25%) | 2138, 1534 | PET | |
| 111In | 2.8 d | γ (90.6%), γ (94.1%) | 171, 245 | SPECT | |
| 99mTc | 6.0 h | γ (89%) | 140.5 | SPECT | |
| 211At | 7.2 d | α (42%), γ (21%) | 5868 | 0.8 mm | SPECT, radionuclide therapy |
| 177Lu | 6.7 d | β− (78.6%), γ (11%), γ (6%) | 498, 208, 113 | 1.6 mm | SPECT, radionuclide therapy |
| 131I | 8.0 d | β− (89.9%), γ (81.7%) | 606, 364 | 4 mm | SPECT, radionuclide therapy |
| 225Ac | 9.9 d | α (50.7%) | 5830 | 0.9 mm | Radionuclide therapy |
| 90Y | 2.7 d | β− (99.9%) | 2280 | 11 mm | Radionuclide therapy |
| 89Sr | 50.5 d | β− (100%) | 1491 | 7 mm | Radionuclide therapy |
| 153Sm | 1.9 d | β− (44%), β− (34%) | 702, 632 | 3.3 mm | Radionuclide therapy |