The Supply of Medical Isotopes

The Supply of Medical Isotopes
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 122
Release: 2019
Genre:
ISBN: 9789264625099

This report explores the main reasons behind the unreliable supply of Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) in health-care systems and policy options to address the issue. Tc-99m is used in 85% of nuclear medicine diagnostic scans performed worldwide – around 30 million patient examinations every year. These scans allow diagnoses of diseases in many parts of the human body, including the skeleton, heart and circulatory system, and the brain. Medical isotopes are subject to radioactive decay and have to be delivered just-in-time through a complex supply chain. However, ageing production facilities and a lack of investment have made the supply of Tc-99m unreliable. This report analyses the use and substitutability of Tc-99m in health care, health-care provider payment mechanisms for scans, and the structure of the supply chain. It concludes that the main reasons for unreliable supply are that production is not economically viable and that the structure of the supply chain prevents producers from charging prices that reflect the full costs of production and supply.

Medical Isotope Production Without Highly Enriched Uranium

Medical Isotope Production Without Highly Enriched Uranium
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2009-06-27
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309130395

This book is the product of a congressionally mandated study to examine the feasibility of eliminating the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU2) in reactor fuel, reactor targets, and medical isotope production facilities. The book focuses primarily on the use of HEU for the production of the medical isotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), whose decay product, technetium-99m3 (Tc-99m), is used in the majority of medical diagnostic imaging procedures in the United States, and secondarily on the use of HEU for research and test reactor fuel. The supply of Mo-99 in the U.S. is likely to be unreliable until newer production sources come online. The reliability of the current supply system is an important medical isotope concern; this book concludes that achieving a cost difference of less than 10 percent in facilities that will need to convert from HEU- to LEU-based Mo-99 production is much less important than is reliability of supply.

Molybdenum-99 for Medical Imaging

Molybdenum-99 for Medical Imaging
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2016-11-28
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309445310

The decay product of the medical isotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), technetium-99m (Tc-99m), and associated medical isotopes iodine-131 (I-131) and xenon-133 (Xe-133) are used worldwide for medical diagnostic imaging or therapy. The United States consumes about half of the world's supply of Mo-99, but there has been no domestic (i.e., U.S.-based) production of this isotope since the late 1980s. The United States imports Mo-99 for domestic use from Australia, Canada, Europe, and South Africa. Mo-99 and Tc-99m cannot be stockpiled for use because of their short half-lives. Consequently, they must be routinely produced and delivered to medical imaging centers. Almost all Mo-99 for medical use is produced by irradiating highly enriched uranium (HEU) targets in research reactors, several of which are over 50 years old and are approaching the end of their operating lives. Unanticipated and extended shutdowns of some of these old reactors have resulted in severe Mo-99 supply shortages in the United States and other countries. Some of these shortages have disrupted the delivery of medical care. Molybdenum-99 for Medical Imaging examines the production and utilization of Mo-99 and associated medical isotopes, and provides recommendations for medical use.

Opportunities and Approaches for Supplying Molybdenum-99 and Associated Medical Isotopes to Global Markets

Opportunities and Approaches for Supplying Molybdenum-99 and Associated Medical Isotopes to Global Markets
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 87
Release: 2018-03-12
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 030946627X

Participants of the July 17-18, 2017, symposium titled Opportunities and Approaches for Supplying Molybdenum-99 and Associated Medical Isotopes to Global Markets examined current trends in molybdenum-99 production, prospects for new global supplies, and technical, economic, regulatory, and other considerations for supplying molybdenum-99 to global markets. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the symposium.

Advancing Nuclear Medicine Through Innovation

Advancing Nuclear Medicine Through Innovation
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 173
Release: 2007-09-11
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309134153

Nearly 20 million nuclear medicine procedures are carried out each year in the United States alone to diagnose and treat cancers, cardiovascular disease, and certain neurological disorders. Many of the advancements in nuclear medicine have been the result of research investments made during the past 50 years where these procedures are now a routine part of clinical care. Although nuclear medicine plays an important role in biomedical research and disease management, its promise is only beginning to be realized. Advancing Nuclear Medicine Through Innovation highlights the exciting emerging opportunities in nuclear medicine, which include assessing the efficacy of new drugs in development, individualizing treatment to the patient, and understanding the biology of human diseases. Health care and pharmaceutical professionals will be most interested in this book's examination of the challenges the field faces and its recommendations for ways to reduce these impediments.

Isotopes for Medicine and the Life Sciences

Isotopes for Medicine and the Life Sciences
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 144
Release: 1995-01-27
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309176697

Radioactive isotopes and enriched stable isotopes are used widely in medicine, agriculture, industry, and science, where their application allows us to perform many tasks more accurately, more simply, less expensively, and more quickly than would otherwise be possible. Indeed, in many casesâ€"for example, biological tracersâ€"there is no alternative. In a stellar example of "technology transfer" that began before the term was popular, the Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessors has supported the development and application of isotopes and their transfer to the private sector. The DOE is now at an important crossroads: Isotope production has suffered as support for DOE's laboratories has declined. In response to a DOE request, this book is an intensive examination of isotope production and availability, including the education and training of those who will be needed to sustain the flow of radioactive and stable materials from their sources to the laboratories and medical care facilities in which they are used. Chapters include an examination of enriched stable isotopes; reactor and accelerator-produced radionuclides; partnerships among industries, national laboratories, and universities; and national isotope policy.

Trends in Radiopharmaceuticals (ISTR-2019)

Trends in Radiopharmaceuticals (ISTR-2019)
Author: International Atomic Energy Agency
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2021-02-28
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9789201177209

The use of radiopharmaceuticals is an important tool not only for management of diseases and dysfunctions, but also for better understanding human diseases and developing effective treatment options, such as in the case of neurology. In this context, there is concern of continuous, impressive progress in nuclear medicine which is linked to the development of new radiopharmaceuticals and efficient production of relevant radioisotopes. These proceedings highlight the main findings and developments discussed during the International Symposium on Trends in Radiopharmaceuticals. They cover the key issues and advances in the field of radiopharmaceuticals from development, production, and use of diagnostic, therapeutic, and theranostic radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals, as well as regulatory and licensing issues related to their production. Additional topics addressed were education, certification and training methodologies. A supplementary file contains the detailed programme of the symposium and the abstracts of all oral and poster presentations.

The Elements: A Very Short Introduction

The Elements: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Philip Ball
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 193
Release: 2004-04-08
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0192840991

This Very Short Introduction traces the history and cultural impact of the elements on humankind, and examines why people have long sought to identify the substances around them. Looking beyond the Periodic Table, the author takes the reader on an engaging and entertaining tour: from the Greek philosophers who propounded a system with four elements - earth, air, fire, and water - to the modern-day scientists who are able to create their own.

Isotopes

Isotopes
Author: Rob Ellam
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 153
Release: 2016
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0198723628

Isotopes are used in many areas of science and technology, including medicine, archaeology, and nuclear physics. They are central to our understanding of the Earth's past and current processes. Here, Rob Ellam explains the importance and applications of stable and radioactive isotopes.

Cyclotron Produced Radionuclides

Cyclotron Produced Radionuclides
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2008
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9789201002082

This book provides a comprehensive treatment of cyclotrons, with a special emphasis on production of radionuclides. Individual sections are devoted to accelerator technology, theoretical aspects of nuclear reactions, the technology behind targetry, techniques for preparation of targets, irradiation of targets under high beam currents, target processing and target recovery. This book will appeal to scientists and technologists interested in translating cyclotron technology into practice, as well as postgraduate students in this field.