Isotope shortage could delay cancer treatments
Nature News: Technical glitches at a Dutch nuclear reactor that produces medical isotopes could lead to rationing of medical tests and treatments across Europe. The High Flux Reactor in Petten is the world's second-largest manufacturer of medical isotopes, and has been offline since last week.
Comments
Even though the medical isotopes industry is a well known industry, it will be interesting to see what the discovery of any additional radionucleids will have on the isotope industry. The proposed or planned Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) hopefuly will lead to the discovery of additional metastable or relatively long half-life nuclei and/or elements with perhaps unforeseen applications.
As a U.S. citizen, I enjoy the prospects of any new nuclear or sub-atomic physics research facilities being constructed by and within the U.S. But I must say, my hats off to the EU in developing the LHC as well as their low energy nuclear physics programs to produce medical isotopes.
Posted by: James M. Essig | September 8, 2008 11:16 AM