Russia and Brazil extend cooperation in nuclear medicine

JSC Isotope is to supply isotope products to Brazil under a five-year agreement signed with the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN). According to the agreement, which is in addition to Russia's current weekly supplies to Brazil of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) and iodine-131, JSC Isotope will supply lutetium-177, yttrium-90, cobalt-57, and sources of ionizing radiation based on iridium-192 and germanium-68/gallium-68 generators.

Part of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, JSC Isotope produces isotope products, radiation devices and medical equipment. CNEN is the government agency responsible for planning Brazil's nuclear power program.

Rosatom said the agreement was an important stage in the development of Russian-Brazilian cooperation in the field of nuclear medicine and opens up new opportunities for expanding the range of isotope products its supplies, both for medical and industrial purposes.

Brazil has been using Russian-produced Mo-99 since 2015 and, since last year, Russia has been fully meeting Brazil's need for "raw" I-131, which is used in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid diseases, Rosatom said.

The attributes of naturally decaying atoms, known as radioisotopes, give rise to several applications across many aspects of modern day life. There is widespread awareness of the use of radiation and radioisotopes in medicine, particularly for diagnosis and treatment of various medical conditions. In developed countries, about one person in 50 uses diagnostic nuclear medicine each year, and the frequency of therapy with radioisotopes is about one-tenth of this.

Nuclear medicine uses radiation to provide information about the functioning of a person's specific organs, or to treat disease. In most cases, the information is used by physicians to make a quick diagnosis of the patient's illness. The thyroid, bones, heart, liver, and many other organs can be easily imaged, and disorders in their function revealed. In some cases radiation can be used to treat diseased organs, or tumours. Five Nobel Laureates have been closely involved with the use of radioactive tracers in medicine.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News