Business
Reactor shutdown creates medical isotope shortage
■ Some diagnostic procedures might be rationed because one production facility is offline, and a short half-life means the material cannot be stored long.
By Victoria Stagg Elliott — Posted June 16, 2009
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The shutdown of a Canadian nuclear reactor has led to a worldwide shortage of molybdenum-99, an isotope used in medical scanning. Physicians are warning that the delays patients are experiencing in imaging may get worse.
"We're having to reschedule some patients. We have not totally cancelled anything yet, but it's likely to get to that point," said Michael Graham, MD, PhD, director of nuclear medicine at the University of Iowa and president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine.
The substance primarily is used in scanning procedures that diagnose various forms of heart disease, although it also plays a part in detecting cancer and assessing the function of lungs, kidneys, the stomach and other organs.
The shortfall is a result of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. taking the National Research Universal reactor in Chalk River, Ontario, out of service on May 14. Initially shut down because of power outages in the region, a heavy water leak was later identified. That led the agency to close down the reactor for at least three months, although it may be closed longer.
The reactor provided half of the molybdenum-99 North America uses but, as of May 23, the facility could no longer meet demand.
"Sophisticated diagnostic procedures are required to determine the exact nature and extent of the repairs before returning the NRU reactor safely to service," said Bill Pilkington, AECL's senior vice president and chief nuclear officer.
Complicating matters further, molybdenum-99 has a short half-life. While that reduces the radiation exposure for patients, it also means the substance cannot be stored longer than two weeks. Other facilities, including one in South Africa and another in the Netherlands, are still producing molybdenum-99, but scheduled maintenance shut-downs at those facilities will further strain supplies.
"We cannot stockpile. We cannot put it in the freezer and have it last longer. That just doesn't work," Dr. Graham said. "We're going to be in a very difficult position for a while."
