DAV increases radioisotope production to meet demand

Mumbai: Nuclear medicine scans - used to detect a variety of cancers and for accurate diagnosis of thyroid, renal, and cardiac diseases - are produced by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAV), which has now increased production of radioisotopes for supply to hospitals all over the country through the Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT), said K.N. Vyas, director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Saturday at a press meet in Mumbai.

The radioisotopes are used in medicine, and diagnosis and treatment of ailments; it is a part of nuclear medicine (NM) which uses radiation to provide accurate diagnostic information about the functioning of a person’s specific organs or to treat him/her. Diagnostic procedures using radioisotopes are now routine; radiotherapy is the type of radiation which can be used to treat medical conditions, especially cancer, where radiation weakens or destroys particular targeted cells, said Dr Venkatesh Rangarajan, head of nuclear medicine, Tata Memorial Centre.

To detect the exact cause, NM uses Techne-tium 99 (T99) generators. T99 is a type of medicine obtained from Molybden-um 99 (radioactive material), known more commonly among doctors as “moly cow”. It is used in imaging procedures, including those for cancer and cardiac diseases. The Tc99m generator has a short shelf-life, and hospitals have to import it once every week.

A source said, “It’s a fantastic technique to detect, treat and destroy cells causing ailments but with cancers on the rise, this technique T99 is not sufficient to meet the demand and supply ratio of the country. Due to the mounting need, we have to import from other countries.”

When asked, BRIT scientists said that till 2020, there won’t be any problems of demand and supply regarding T99.