[ RadSafe ] Isotope shortage affects patients

[Robert D Gallagher]

you have to keep in mind, that not many reactors have the capabilities
needed to irradiate samples and remove, and process them. Power reactors
have no interest in isotope production. The same is true at federal
facilities. The feds got out of the business years ago as private companies
began to distribute. I doubt seriously if any of the federal facilities
would produce radionuclides at the costs that AECL charges.

We have the same problem with Am-241. The feds did a separation of material
20 years ago. They ran out of separated Am-241 a couple of years ago. Since
that time, we purchase Am241 from Russia.

The same with tritium foils. The only U.S. manufacture ceased production a
few years back. There is no one that I'm aware of producing Tritium foils
any longer.

In many of these areas, new technology is beginning to replace nuclear
techniques. This is driven by costs as well as the security issues that are
currently being forced on the nuclear community.

Bob Gallagher
NSSI Houston
713 641-0391


-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl]On
Behalf Of John R Johnson
Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2007 8:59 AM
To: Peter Fear; joseroze at netvision.net.il; radsafe at radlab.nl;
ward.brunkow at wipp.ws
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Isotope shortage affects patients


Peter

I agree that it has nothing to do with the Canadian health system and very
little to do with AECL. The problem is with the isotope production
companies. Why is there only one reactor that produces Mo-99?

>From a Canadian who worked in health physics at CRNL (now CRL) for 15
years.

John
***************
John R Johnson, PhD
CEO, IDIAS, Inc.
4535 West 9th Ave
Vancouver, B. C.
V6R 2E2, Canada
(604) 222-9840
idias at interchange.ubc.ca



----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Fear" <FEARP at upstate.edu>
To: <joseroze at netvision.net.il>; <radsafe at radlab.nl>; <ward.brunkow at wipp.ws>
Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2007 6:00 AM
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] Isotope shortage affects patients


> Actually it has nothing to do with the Canadian health system. There is
> only
> one producer of Mo99 - the precursor of Tc99m - in the entire western
> hemisphere. We normally have 15-20 doses waiting every morning when we get
> to work and more before 9 am - today we have had none! MDS Nordian
> announced
> yesterday that the reactor would probably be done until the middle of
> January.
>
> Pete
>
> Peter Fear
> Health Physics Technologist
> SUNY Upstate Medical University
> Radiation Safety Office
> 636 UH
> 750 E. Adams St.
> Syracuse, NY 13210
>
> Phone: (315)464-6510
> FAX:     (315)464-5095
> fearp at upstate.edu
>
>
>
>>>> "Brunkow, Ward" <ward.brunkow at wipp.ws> 12/06/07 8:46 AM >>>
> This is predictable. It goes with the Canadian health system. It appears
> that Chalk River is one of the few places producing Tc99m up there. I
> requested Tc99 the last time I had cardiac analysis from my Dr.  as I work
> in a nuclear facility and didn't' want to be radioactive for 3 weeks
> walking
> in the place. I threw my Dr. for a loop, he thought I was an oncologist or
> something, but it was  not hard to get. It appears the Canadian govt. has
> compromised the medical radionuclide production process just as they have
> the socialized health care system. But Tec is a very short T1/2 and any
> interruptions in a place like CR would definitely stop the availability of
> it. They just need many other facilities that can produce it, like we do
> in
> the U.S.   If there is a demand, as in any free market or private system,
> why not be producing plenty of it...but again their govt. is running their
> health care system...there you go.
>
> W.G.(Ward)Brunkow
>
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