The Department of Nuclear Medicine at KHCC is a pioneering center in the region delivering advanced diagnostic and therapeutic services for cancer patients through nuclear, molecular, and biological technologies. Our vision is to support precision medicine through molecular radionuclide diagnosis & therapy in Jordan and neighboring countries. The department is endorsed and accredited as a center of excellence by the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM/EARL) and as an international training center by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Our department is equipped with the latest and most advanced nuclear medicine technologies (PET / CT & SPECT / CT & Automated Radiosynthesis unit). Nuclear medicine utilizes small amounts of safe and painless radiopharmaceuticals to precisely evaluate and treat malignant lesions, and to provide proper assessment of physiologic and biologic status of the disease and organs. Our staff physicians are certified by the Jordanian Board of Nuclear Medicine, the European Board of Nuclear Medicine, the American Board of Nuclear Cardiology, and the Asian Nuclear Medicine Board. Consultants in the department have finished advanced fellowships in nuclear oncology and PET/CT in Germany and the USA.
The department is among the busiest centers in the region, carrying out more than 10,000 nuclear medicine examinations and treatments for oncology patients. The high quality of these scans enables oncologists to precisely stage and re-stage patients, evaluate response to treatment, and design management plan. Nuclear medicine imaging procedures usually identify changes in the early stages of cancer, a significant period of time before these problems arise through other diagnostic tests.
Nuclear medicine supports tumor treatment through delivering high doses of biologically targeted radionuclide substances at the molecular level (e.g.
differentiated thyroid cancer with radioactive iodine, as well as radionuclide targeted therapies for prostate cancer, neuroendocrine cancers NET, bone metastases and neuroblastoma).
The department has received local and international accreditations and was the first center in the region to be accredited by the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) for excellence in the quality of PET/CT scans (EARL). As part of KHCC, it is accredited by the Joint Commission International, and it has also been accredited locally. Moreover, the department is licensed by the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) for the possession and use of radioactive materials for staff, machines and location.
The department has achieved many accomplishments in scientific research in the field of nuclear oncology & PET/CT across the region through obtaining grants from organizations such as the European Platform of Cancer Research (EORTC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to conduct high-quality research in tumor diagnosis and treatment. In addition to ongoing research, our findings have been published in a reputable international journals, and the department has organized and hosted many international conferences and workshops focusing on the advances in nuclear medicine and oncology.
In terms of training, the department is recognized by the Jordanian Medical Council for the residency program in nuclear medicine, which qualifies for the Jordanian Board of Nuclear Medicine. The department also offers an advanced fellowship program in nuclear oncology & PET/CT, and annually hosts visiting doctors, physicists and technicians from many countries across the globe for training on the latest methods of diagnosis and treatment in nuclear medicine.
We provide the following diagnostic and therapeutic services for inpatients and outpatients:
- PET & PET/CT:
- F18 FDG PET/CT scan mainly for oncology indications
- Ga68 DOTATOC PET/CT for neuroendocrine tumors
- Ga68 PSMA PET/CT for prostate cancer
- Diagnostic procedures with Gamma camera & SPECT/CT:
- SPECT / CT hybrid imaging that integrates imaging methods to form a new technology, as imaging techniques (functional images and anatomical images) are combined to give the most accurate image details, and locate tumors with high accuracy
- Radioisotope examination with a Gamma camera / nuclear imaging (over 60 different procedures examining most organs in the body)
- SPECT by gamma camera
- DEXA scan for assessment of Bone Mineral Density (diagnosis and follow up of Osteoporosis and Osteopenia)
- Radionuclide therapy:
- Radioactive Iodine therapy for benign and malignant thyroid tumors
- Radionuclide therapy of bone pain as a palliative treatment for bone metastasis
- Radioactive MIBG-I131 treatment for neuroblastoma and suprarenal masses
- Peptide receptors radionuclide therapy (PRRT) treatment for neuroendocrine tumors by Lu177 DOTATAE
- PSMA-targeted Radioligand Therapy (PRLT) for treatment of metastatic prostate tumors
Department Statistics – 2019
To date, more than10,000 nuclear medicine procedures have been performed including PET/CT, SPECT/CT, Gamma cameras, targeted radionuclide therapies and DEXA scans.
Department Faculty:
Dr. Akram Al-Ibraheem MD, FEBNM, DCBNC, FANMB
Chairman & Consultant
Dr. Khaled Alkhawaldeh MD, FEBNM, DCBNC
Dr. Nabila Al Hajjaj MD
Dr. Ula Al-Rasheed MD
Dr. Aysar Khalaf MD