Brief History and Introduction

Centre for Nuclear Medicine (CENUM), Lahore is renowned mother establishment in PAEC Nuclear Medicine Centres. It is the second oldest nuclear medicine centre of the country; first being at Karachi. This Centre started functioning in early sixties (1963) under the name of Medical Radioisotope Centre. It was later on known as Atomic Energy Medical Centre and recently has been renamed as Centre for Nuclear Medicine (CENUM), Lahore. The Centre has extended excellent nuclear medicine services to the patients since its inception.

The Centre has achieved an up-dated standard of performance in providing nuclear medicine services especially after the installation of new SPECT gamma camera system (Siemens E-cam) in December, 2000.
The Centre provides diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine services to the patients of the city of Lahore, District Headquarter Hospitals and other hospitals of Lahore region.

The Centre also provides nuclear medicine services to in-door patients of Mayo Hospital, Lahore which is the largest hospital of Punjab (more than 2000 bedded hospital and is attached with King Edward Medical College, Lahore). It also provides nuclear medicine services to

out-door patients from 40 departments of Mayo Hospital and to the patients from thickly populated old walled city of Lahore. Most of the patients from in-door out-door departments of Mayo Hospital and from the old walled city of Lahore reporting to this Centre for various nuclear medicine studies/scans belong to poor socio-economic status. The Centre is helping a large proportion of poor patients who require/need nuclear medicine services thus earning good name for PAEC.

CENUM has also been providing teaching and training facilities to postgraduate doctors from various specialties by organizing training and teaching programmes in the field of nuclear medicine.
The Centre is also actively involved in research and training activities in collaboration with IAEA, Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore, King Edward Medical College, Lahore and Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad, University of the Punjab, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore.

More than sixteen thousand (16000) new patients are registered annually for various nuclear medicine scans/studies at the Centre.

Front View of the CENUM

Gamma Camera for base scan for bone scan

Research Papers & Publications

1. Elahi S, Syed Z and Nagra SA (2003). Status of Iodine nutrition in Lahore. (Accepted for publication in Nutrition Research (Canada) Pergaman press 2004).
2. Elahi S, Manzoor-ul-Hasan A, Syed Z, Nagra SA, Hyder S.W. A study of goiter among female adolescents of Lahore. (Under publication in Journal of Pakistan Medical Association 2004).
3. Elahi S, Laeeq F, Syed Z, Rizvi S.M.H, Hyder S.W. Serum Thyroxine and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Levels in maternal circulation and cord blood at the time of delivery. (Sent for publication in Journal of Pakistan Medical Association 2004).
4. Elahi S, Manzoor-ul-Hasan A, Syed Z, Nagra SA, Hyder S.W. Nodular goiter among female adolescents of Lahore. Poster presentation made at 2nd International PAEC Oncology & Nuclear Medicine Conference 8-11 April, 2004 at Lahore.
5. Farzana Munib, Affia Tasneem, S.W.Hyder, Effect of age, sex and goiter shape on thyroid function tests in euthyroid individuals. (Sent for publication in International Journal Age and Aging).
6. Farzana Munib, Affia Tasneem, S.W.Hyder, Establishment of norms for Lahore and its surrounding areas. (Sent for publication in International Journal Age and Aging).

SERVICES

Thyroid Clinic

The Thyroid Clinic has been functioning at CENUM on daily basis. Presently new and follow-up patients suffering from benign and malignant diseases of thyroid are managed. The management comprises detailed examination, investigations, treatment and follow up of these patients. A total of 1164 patients were assessed and advised in the last year for thyroid diseases. In this connection, all regional hospitals/clinics have been intimated to refer patients to the Thyroid Clinic at CENUM for special treatment of thyroid diseases. The following doctors have been assigned duties to attend patients at the

Therapeutic Nuclear Medicine

The therapeutic Nuclear Medicine at CENUM comprises mainly of radioiodine (131I) treatment of patients with thyrotoxicosis and thyroid cancer. The total number of new and follow-up patients treated with radioiodine (131I) in the year July 2003-June 2004 is given below.

Radioimmunoassay Laboratory (RIA)

The Radioimmunoassay laboratory has been providing reliable and efficient services to the referred patients. Table 5.5 shows the number of patients referred to RIA Lab.

Immulite system

Immulite system is based on state of the art “Enhanced” Chemiluminescence Technology. This system is very popular internationally in diagnostic laboratories because of high speed, simplicity, fully automation and cost effectiveness.

Biochemistry Laboratory

Biochemistry laboratory was established in December 2000. At present biochemistry laboratory at CENUM is able to perform 17 assays (liver function tests, renal function tests, lipid profile, CBC, urine C/E, miscellaneous tests) for precise diagnosis of various diseases. Following essential biochemistry kits have been procured to perform various assays for the diagnosis of different diseases. The biochemistry and hematology laboratory has analyzed a total of 4,697 patients.

Research activities
Ongoing Research Projects

1. CENUM is collaborating with the Paediatric Preventive Medicine Department of The Children Hospital, Lahore to root out the genetic factors causing hypothyroidism in children.
2. CENUM is collaborating with the Biochemistry Section, Institute of Chemistry, University of the Punjab, Lahore on the research topics of “A longitudinal study of iodine deficiency and thyroid autoimmunity among normal pregnant women and its effects on maternal and neonatal thyroid function” and “A study of goiter prevalence and thyroid dysfunction among different age groups of female population in Lahore.”
3. CENUM is collaborating with the Department of Physics, University of the Punjab, Lahore on the research topic of “Comparison of dose received by radiation workers using sealed and unsealed radiation sources.”

Collaboration with other Organizations

CENUM has been collaborating with the following international and national agencies/institutes in various aspects.
1. International Atomic Energy Agency
2. Health Department, Punjab
3. King Edward Medical University, Lahore
4. Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Islamabad
5. Department of Chemistry, University of the Punjab, Lahore.
6. Department of Physics, University of the Punjab, Lahore.
7. University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore.
8. Government College University, Lahore.
The Breast Care Clinic at CENUM was inaugurated by Dr. Syed Javaid Khurshid, Director Biosciences Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission on