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radioactive isotopes & CML

After much spine, hip and leg pain,totally dissimilar to that caused by the Glivec, I am to have a bone scan. I have been told that an iv injection of radioactive isotopes will be used to facilitate the scan.
Does anybody know how nuclear medicine relates to my CML which is undetectable at present. I presume the NHS know what they are doing, but I have worked there, so reserve the right to question methods occasionally.

hi Des,
yes i agree that you should question methods. when i was having my 'workup' to my transplant i had to have some sort of test which used radioactive isotopes. i think it was called a muga test (can't remember now) but i was (perhaps irrationally) horrified and managed to convince myself that i should refuse the test. i actually got myself out of the department and was on my way back to haematology when another (maybe more rational) voice in my head convinced me that they did in fact know what they were doing....and i promptly got myself back to the nuclear med. dept. before they noticed i had left!
however, i did ask the person who assessed me what the risks were from the procedure. he reasoned that the risks were negligable that that i would be exposed to more radiation if i lived in parts of cornwall for a few months.
i suppose at the time this satified me and quelled my natural fear. i was more worried about the transplant i was about to have.
i do hope you get a more coherant answer and i support you in your right to ask questions.
best wishes,
Sandy ;o)

Hi Des,
I was at HH on Monday for a total body PET scan, and was injected with a radioactive isotope mixed with a glucose carrier. I asked my doctor all about it and was assured it was safe,the staff in nuclear medicine were in and out, they didnt seem bothered about contamination,infact the whole attitude of the staff put my mind at rest. I had also looked it up on various sites previously and was satisfied it was OK. I think the word radiation made me a bit nervous. Mind you, I didnt like the 90 minutes in the scanner, but its over and done with now.
kind regards,
Les.