Robert J. Mcdonald, MD

Nuclear Medicine Doctor

A nuclear medicine specialist employs the properties of radioactive atoms and molecules in the diagnosis and treatment of disease and in research. Radiation detection and imaging instrument systems are used to detect disease as it changes the function and metabolism of normal cells, tissues and organs. A wide variety of diseases can be found in this way, usually before the structure of the organ involved by the disease can be seen to be abnormal by any other techniques. Early detection of coronary artery disease (including acute heart attack), early cancer detection and evaluation of the effect of tumor treatment, diagnosis of infection and inflammation anywhere in the body and early detection of blood clot in the lungs are all possible with these techniques. Unique forms of radioactive molecules can attack and kill cancer cells (e.g., lymphoma, thyroid cancer) or can relieve the severe pain of cancer that has spread to bone

Nuclear Radiologist

Dr. Robert J. Mcdonald is a Nuclear Radiologist in Sanibel, FL with special training and skill in using radioactive materials - radiopharmaceuticals - to produce images of patients' organs that help a nuclear medicine physician diagnose disease. As a Nuclear Radiologist, Robert J. Mcdonald, MD performs imaging of body organs using radiopharmaceuticals. Nuclear Radiology is a method of producing images by detecting radiation from different parts of the body after a radioactive tracer is given to the patient. Significant diseases and conditions treated by Nuclear Radiologists include hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer, solid tumors, hematologic malignancies, or painful bone metastases. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Nuclear Radiologists include scintigraphy, positron emission tomography (PET) scan, hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA), radioactive iodine thyroid scan.

A radiologist who is involved in the analysis and imaging of radionuclides and radiolabeled substances in vitro and in vivo for diagnosis and the administration of radionuclides and radiolabeled substances for the treatment of disease.