[ RadSafe ] Isotope shortage affects patients

[Peter Fear]

Mo99 is made by placing HEU (highly enriched uranium) into a reactor where
it undergoes fission. According to what I've read 6% of the HEU that breaks
down becomes Mo99. Only a few countries have the technology to make HEU.
Canada imports their HEU from the US. Iran supposedly wants to make HEU to
make Mo99. GWB doesn't think that is what they plan to do with it.  Trade in
HEU is very regulated.


Check J Am Coll Radiol 2007;4:248-251 
How the Radiologic and Nuclear Medical Communities Can Improve Nuclear
Security
Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP, Frank von Hippel, PhD

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 



>>> John R Johnson <idias at interchange.ubc.ca> 12/06/07 9:58 AM >>>
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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