SavedAdd your journal

Journals / Turkish Journal of Clinics and Laboratory / 2026 / Sayı: 1

Knowledge and awareness regarding nuclear medicine among non-radiological physicians: a cross-sectional study in two centers in Türkiye

Radyoloji dışı hekimler arasında nükleer tıp hakkındaki bilgi ve farkındalık: Türkiye'deki iki merkezde gerçekleştirilen kesitsel bir çalışma

Zehra Kılınç(DİCLE ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ, TIP PR.)0000-0003-2896-4912
Yunus Güzel(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, DİYARBAKIR GAZİ YAŞARGİL HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER)0000-0002-8555-0460
Halil Kömek(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, DİYARBAKIR GAZİ YAŞARGİL HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER)0000-0001-8168-136X
Hatice Ortaç(DICLE UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-1199-1706
Hamza Kılıç(DICLE UNIVERSITY)0009-0001-0666-4815
Pages
—
Publication Date
2026-03-30
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

These findings suggest a need for stronger educational support in Nuclear Medicine.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Aim: Nuclear medicine has an expanding role in diagnosis and therapy, yet physicians working outside the departments of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology may have limited knowledge of its indications, radiation doses, and clinical applications.
📊
Key Findings & Data:Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in April–May 2025 at two teaching hospitals in Diyarbakır, Türkiye.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:These findings suggest a need for stronger educational support in Nuclear Medicine.
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:2025 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Nükleer tıp · radyasyon farkındalığı · tıp eğitimi

Abstract

Aim: Nuclear medicine has an expanding role in diagnosis and therapy, yet physicians working outside the departments of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology may have limited knowledge of its indications, radiation doses, and clinical applications. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and awareness of physicians working outside these two specialties regarding diagnostic and therapeutic methods in nuclear medicine. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in April–May 2025 at two teaching hospitals in Diyarbakır, Türkiye. A structured questionnaire was administered to 285 physicians working outside the departments of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology. The survey assessed demographic characteristics, knowledge of radiation measurement and nuclear medicine practices, and attitudes toward radiation-related risks. A knowledge score ranging from 0 to 11 was calculated from the knowledge items. Results: The mean knowledge score was 6.41 ± 2.23, indicating a moderate level of knowledge. While 65.3% correctly identified the sievert as the unit of radiation dose, knowledge of annual natural background radiation (46.0%) and the approximate dose of a posteroanterior chest radiograph (46.3%) was limited. Awareness of therapeutic roles was higher for hyperthyroidism (71.9%) and thyroid cancer (77.9%) than for prostate cancer (54.4%) and neuroendocrine tumours (57.2%). Misconceptions were common: 62.1% believed Nuclear Medicine imaging is highly likely to cause cancer, and 43.2% believed it may cause infertility. More than half considered their undergraduate Nuclear Medicine education inadequate (57.2%). Knowledge scores were significantly associated with age, professional experience, gender, professional title, and clinical use of Nuclear Medicine methods. Conclusions: Physicians demonstrated moderate knowledge, with notable gaps in radiation dose knowledge, therapeutic applications, and risk perception. These findings suggest a need for stronger educational support in Nuclear Medicine.

Özet

Amaç: Nükleer tıp, tanı ve tedavide giderek artan bir role sahip olmakla birlikte, Nükleer Tıp ve Radyoloji bölümlerinin dışında çalışan hekimlerin, nükleer tıbbın endikasyonları, radyasyon dozları ve klinik uygulamaları hakkındaki bilgileri sınırlı olabilir. Bu çalışma, bu iki uzmanlık alanının dışında çalışan hekimlerin nükleer tıpta tanı ve tedavi yöntemleri hakkındaki bilgi ve farkındalıklarını değerlendirmeyi amaçlamıştır. Yöntem: Bu kesitsel çalışma, Nisan-Mayıs 2025 tarihlerinde Diyarbakır'daki iki eğitim hastanesinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Nükleer Tıp ve Radyoloji bölümleri dışında çalışan 285 hekime yapılandırılmış bir anket uygulanmıştır. Anket, demografik özellikleri, radyasyon ölçümü ve nükleer tıp uygulamaları hakkındaki bilgileri ve radyasyonla ilgili risklere yönelik tutumları değerlendirmiştir. Bilgi maddelerinden 0 ile 11 arasında değişen bir bilgi puanı hesaplanmıştır. Bulgular: Ortalama bilgi puanı 6,41 ± 2,23 olup, orta düzeyde bir bilgi düzeyini göstermektedir. Katılımcıların %65,3'ü sievert'i radyasyon dozunun birimi olarak doğru bir şekilde tanımlarken, yıllık doğal arka plan radyasyonu (%46,0) ve posteroanterior göğüs röntgeninin yaklaşık dozu (%46,3) hakkındaki bilgi sınırlıydı. Hipertiroidizm (%71,9) ve tiroid kanseri (%77,9) için tedavi edici roller hakkındaki farkındalık, prostat kanseri (%54,4) ve nöroendokrin tümörlerden (%57,2) daha yüksekti. Yanlış anlamalar yaygındı: %62,1'i Nükleer Tıp görüntülemesinin kansere neden olma olasılığının yüksek olduğuna, %43,2'si ise kısırlığa neden olabileceğine inanıyordu. Yarısından fazlası (%57,2) lisans düzeyindeki Nükleer Tıp eğitimini yetersiz buldu. Bilgi puanları yaş, mesleki deneyim, cinsiyet, meslek unvanı ve Nükleer Tıp yöntemlerinin klinik kullanımı ile anlamlı şekilde ilişkiliydi. Sonuç: Hekimlerin bilgi düzeyinin orta düzeyde olduğu, ancak radyasyon dozu bilgisi, tedavi uygulamaları ve risk algısı konularında belirgin eksiklikler gösterdiği tespit edilmiştir. Bu bulgular, Nükleer Tıp alanında daha güçlü eğitim desteğine ihtiyaç duyulduğunu göstermektedir.

🔖

Cite This Article

Kılınç, Z., Güzel, Y., Kömek, H., Ortaç, H., Kılıç, H. (2026). Knowledge and awareness regarding nuclear medicine among non-radiological physicians: a cross-sectional study in two centers in Türkiye. Turkish Journal of Clinics and Laboratory, Sayı: 1. https://doi.org/10.18663/tjcl.1908803

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (36)

  1. Gandhi N, Alaseem AM, Deshmukh R, et al. Theranostics in nuclear medicine: the era of precision oncology. Med Oncol. 2025;42(11):498.
  2. Currie G. Molecular theranostics: principles, challenges and controversies. J Med Radiat Sci. 2025;72(1):156-64.
  3. Scott AM, Zeglis BM, Lapi SE, et al. Trends in nuclear medicine and the radiopharmaceutical sciences in oncology: workforce challenges and training in the age of theranostics. Lancet Oncol. 2024;25(6):e250-e59.
  4. Tay YX, Foley S, Killeen R, et al. Impact and effect of imaging referral guidelines on patients and radiology services: a systematic review. Eur Radiol. 2025;35(1):532-41.
  5. Makhoul G, Perlman S, Ziv-Baran T, and Fire G. Knowledge and Awareness of Ionizing Radiation Harms Among Hospital Employees at a Large Tertiary Medical Center: Findings from a First-of-Its-Kind Study in Israel. Healthcare (Basel). 2025;13(8)
  6. Alyousef K, Assiri A, Almutairi S, Aldalham T, and Felimban G. Awareness of Radiation Protection and Common Radiation Dose Levels Among Healthcare Workers. Glob J Qual Saf Healthc. 2023;6(1):1-5.
  7. Zheng L, Yang H, Xie T, Huang D, and Tian H. Knowledge and attitudes toward [(18)F] fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography among non-radiologist medical staff. BMC Med Educ. 2025;25(1):306.
  8. Darbayeva A, Dautov T, Nurmanbekov N, et al. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of healthcare professionals toward radiation safety in Kazakhstan: A cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Health Services. 2026;6:1779949.
  9. Fataftah J, Tayyem R, Al-Dwairy S, et al. Awareness of radiation hazards and knowledge of radioprotective measures among radiologists and non-radiology staff: a cross-sectional survey. Egyptian Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine. 2024;55(1):128.
  10. Aljondi R, Alem R, Aljondi R, Tajaldeen A, Alghamdi SS, and Toras MM. Assessments of Medical Student's Knowledge About Radiation Protection and Different Imaging Modalities in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Int J Biomed Imaging. 2025;2025:1528291.
  11. Urbain JL, Scott AM, Lee ST, et al. Theranostic Radiopharmaceuticals: A Universal Challenging Educational Paradigm in Nuclear Medicine. J Nucl Med. 2023;64(6):986-91.
  12. Saleim AR. Referring Physicians' Knowledge of the Radiation Doses for Commonly Radiological Investigations in Nasiriya Turkish Hospital. Wiad Lek. 2023;76(9):2061-67.
  13. Brown N and Jones L. Knowledge of medical imaging radiation dose and risk among doctors. J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol. 2013;57(1):8-14.
  14. Dauda AM, Ozoh JO, and Towobola OA. Medical doctors' awareness of radiation exposure in diagnostic radiology investigations in a South African academic institution. SA J Radiol. 2019;23(1):1707.
  15. Freudenberg LS and Beyer T. Subjective perception of radiation risk. J Nucl Med. 2011;52 Suppl 2:29S-35S.
  16. Alsharif R, Alamoudi D, Kaifi R, Alsulami W, Althubaiti R, and Malaih A. Knowledge and awareness of ionizing radiation hazards in diagnostic imaging among patients at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences. 2026;19(2):102268.
  17. Yurt A, Cavusoglu B, and Gunay T. Evaluation of awareness on radiation protection and knowledge about radiological examinations in healthcare professionals who use ionized radiation at work. Mol Imaging Radionucl Ther. 2014;23(2):48-53.
  18. Wally SF, Abu Sabir SAH, Alharbi SM, et al. Radiation Safety Awareness Among Non-radiology Staff at Tabuk Hospitals, Saudi Arabia. Cureus. 2024;16(10):e70603.
  19. Hobbs JB, Goldstein N, Lind KE, Elder D, Dodd GD, 3rd, and Borgstede JP. Physician Knowledge of Radiation Exposure and Risk in Medical Imaging. J Am Coll Radiol. 2018;15(1 Pt A):34-43.
  20. Nguyen NC, Anigati EM, Desai NB, and Oz OK. Radioactive Iodine Therapy in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: An Update on Dose Recommendations and Risk of Secondary Primary Malignancies. Semin Nucl Med. 2024;54(4):488-96.
  21. Ahmadzadehfar H, Seifert R, Afshar-Oromieh A, Kratochwil C, and Rahbar K. Prostate Cancer Theranostics With (177)Lu-PSMA. Semin Nucl Med. 2024;54(4):581-90.
  22. Di Franco M, Zanoni L, Fortunati E, Fanti S, and Ambrosini V. Radionuclide Theranostics in Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: An Update. Curr Oncol Rep. 2024;26(5):538-50.
  23. Pascual TN, Paez D, Iagaru A, et al. Guiding principles on the education and practice of theranostics. European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. 2024;51(8):2320-31.
  24. Rubio-Tapia A, Hill ID, Semrad C, et al. American College of Gastroenterology Guidelines Update: Diagnosis and Management of Celiac Disease. Am J Gastroenterol. 2023;118(1):59-76.
  25. Alomran B, Fakhroo L, Al Khalifa M, Alhakim F, Hassan GA, and Shajira E. Assessment of the Knowledge of Healthcare Professionals Regarding Radiological Examination in Lactating Mothers: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Cureus. 2024;16(12):e76070.
  26. Karatekin S, Senol E, and Karabayir N. Should Breastfeeding Be Interrupted after Radiological Imaging Examinations? Evidence and Clinical Applications. Children (Basel). 2024;11(4)
  27. Allam SME, Algany MMA, and Khider YIA. Radiation safety compliance awareness among healthcare workers exposed to ionizing radiation. BMC Nurs. 2024;23(1):208.
  28. Faggioni L, Paolicchi F, Bastiani L, Guido D, and Caramella D. Awareness of radiation protection and dose levels of imaging procedures among medical students, radiography students, and radiology residents at an academic hospital: Results of a comprehensive survey. Eur J Radiol. 2017;86:135-42.
  29. Vano E, Rosenstein M, Liniecki J, Rehani MM, Martin CJ, and Vetter RJ. ICRP Publication 113. Education and training in radiological protection for diagnostic and interventional procedures. Ann ICRP. 2009;39(5):7-68.
  30. Ng TSC, An BP, Cho SY, and Hyun H. US Trainee and Faculty Perspectives on Exposure to Nuclear Medicine/Molecular Imaging During Medical School. Curr Probl Diagn Radiol. 2021;50(5):585-91.
  31. Pathmaraj K and Lee ST. Multidisciplinary Perspectives of Clinical Trials in Theranostics. World J Nucl Med. 2025;24(3):214-20.
  32. Pathmaraj K, Welch J, Pietrzak A, et al. Multidisciplinary Approach to Theranostics Around the World: Integration of Care Teams. J Nucl Med Technol. 2025;53(Suppl 1):110S-17S.
  33. Pascual TNB, Paez D, Iagaru A, et al. Guiding principles on the education and practice of theranostics. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2024;51(8):2320-31.
  34. McNulty JP, Zarb F, Consortium E-R, European Federation of Radiographer S, and European Society of R. Guidelines and recommendations for radiographer education from the EU-REST project. Insights Imaging. 2025;16(1):242.
  35. Santos J, Foley S, Andersson J, et al. Education and training in radiation protection in Europe: results from the EURAMED Rocc-n-Roll project survey. Insights Imaging. 2023;14(1):55.
  36. Turner M, Morasi S, Mrsnik-Hamdi M, and Shanahan M. Collaborative learning in the professional development of medical radiation practitioners. J Med Radiat Sci. 2022;69(2):156-64.