Global Medical Isotope Shortage

[The Supreme Canuck]

Thousands of patients in Canada, the U.S. and other countries are having their medical tests postponed because an Ontario nuclear reactor that produces radioisotopes for nuclear medicine was shut down for repairs.
The government-run Chalk River reactor supplies more than two-thirds of the world's demand for medical radioisotopes, which are used to diagnose cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Link to story (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/12/04/nuclear-tests.html)

Well, now. This is a bit of a whoopsy. Hospitals can't even stockpile the stuff since it has a "short shelf-life." I'm assuming a short half-life.

[NEOWatcher]

Well, now. This is a bit of a whoopsy. Hospitals can't even stockpile the stuff since it has a "short shelf-life." I'm assuming a short half-life.
And why not a short shelf life due to a short half-life?

For some reason, the mention of the regulatory approvals needed for the other reactors makes me think the motive for the story is not shortage.
Me thinks the story was (at least in part) prompted by the need for public approval for the new plants.

How were the doctors un-interrupted in the past? Weren't there other shutdowns?

[The Supreme Canuck]

And why not a short shelf life due to a short half-life? Erm... that's what I meant, but apparently didn't say.

For some reason, the mention of the regulatory approvals needed for the other reactors makes me think the motive for the story is not shortage.
Me thinks the story was (at least in part) prompted by the need for public approval for the new plants.

I hope so. More plants would be a good thing, quite frankly.

How were the doctors un-interrupted in the past? Weren't there other shutdowns?

There are other sources around the globe. Presumably those could take up the slack for short shut-downs. But this shut-down is longer than usual, since they found problems they didn't expect.

[NEOWatcher]

Erm... that's what I meant, but apparently didn't say.
I wasn't exactly sure what you were saying to begin with. I just took a stab at translating it from Canadian.
... But this shut-down is longer than usual, since they found problems they didn't expect.
Yes; I did catch on to that, but it wasn't really well addressed in the story.
They've been down for 14 days and expect a total of 24, but what was the original amount of time for the shutdown. Based on some of the plants around here, that really doesn't sound like a long shutdown at all.

And; if they are providing 2/3 of the world's supply, then why are only Canadians getting affected (or at least reported on)?

Yes; I approve of nuclear energy, I just question the article and its motives.

[Swift]

How were the doctors un-interrupted in the past? Weren't there other shutdowns?


I think there were more plants in the past. I have a vague memory (that I can't google a reference to) that there was a plant in southwest Ohio that closed down. These isotopes have more and more come from fewer and fewer sources.

From the article
Thousands of patients in Canada, the U.S. and other countries are having their medical tests postponed because an Ontario nuclear reactor that produces radioisotopes for nuclear medicine was shut down for repairs.

So why do you think only Canada is affected?

[The Supreme Canuck]

I wasn't exactly sure what you were saying to begin with. I just took a stab at translating it from Canadian.

That can be hard, eh? So take off, you hoser. You keener. You... er... muggerbumble... Yes, I made one of those up. ;)

Yes; I did catch on to that, but it wasn't really well addressed in the story.
They've been down for 14 days and expect a total of 24, but what was the original amount of time for the shutdown. Based on some of the plants around here, that really doesn't sound like a long shutdown at all.

Well, looking at this (http://www.aecl.ca/NewsRoom/News/Press-2007/071204.htm) AECL press release and this (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071205.wcancer1205/BNStory/National/home) Globe and Mail article, the reactor was shut down on 18 November and was expected to be back up by mid-December. This (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071205/radioisotopes_071205/20071205?hub=TopStories) CTV News article is saying they aren't expecting to be back up to full production until mid-January.

And; if they are providing 2/3 of the world's supply, then why are only Canadians getting affected (or at least reported on)?

We aren't the only ones:

Thousands of patients in Canada, the U.S. and other countries

Thousands of patients in Canada and the rest of the world are having their medical tests postponed because an Ontario nuclear reactor that produces radioisotopes has been shut down.

Hundreds of thousands of medical tests worldwide were in jeopardy on Wednesday after a key maker of radioisotopes for nuclear medicine said its Canadian reactor would be out of commission longer than expected.

Yes; I approve of nuclear energy, I just question the article and its motives.

Well, we have CBC, CTV, and the Globe saying all the same thing, here. CBC and CTV are the major TV news providers here in Canada, and the Globe and Mail is our newspaper of record - think the Canadian equivalent of the New York Times.

[NEOWatcher]

So why do you think only Canada is affected?
More of the impression left by the article. They stressed the Canadian angle of it so much (well, duh, it's a Canadian source). But; I also haven't run across it in the normal course of news browsing from the US sources.
So; It's either only a big story in Canada, or the article was picked up in an obscure way to begin with.

[The Supreme Canuck]

Reuters has it:

http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSN0545627620071205

[Swift]

Reuters has it:

http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSN0545627620071205
CNN / Money.com (http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/TO22605122007-1.htm)
physorg.com (http://www.physorg.com/news116083168.html)

But most sources on Google News were Canadian. Maybe it says something about news sources in the US.

[The Supreme Canuck]

I think it might just be that the story originated here. It might take a bit for other news sources to grab it.

Now, a question. Do you have any idea what isotope they're talking about? It doesn't seem to be mentioned anywhere.

[Swift]

This (http://www.aecl.ca/Commercial/DIF/Medical/MA.htm) website from AECL (the operator of the reactor) mentions "cobalt, xenon, molybdenum and technetium".

This website (http://www.mds.nordion.com/products/medical-isotopes.htm) from MDS Nordion (I gather they are the distributor) gives a table of all the isotopes they supply (I don't know if all come from AECL) and their uses.

[NEOWatcher]

I think it might just be that the story originated here. It might take a bit for other news sources to grab it.
Obviously because it is a Canadian reactor. And; it goes back again to how they could have leveraged it for a spin the story.

[The Supreme Canuck]

Thanks, Swift.

NEOWatcher: Yes, they could be spinning the story. But a bunch of different news sources all seem to agree on the facts - it seems either that there is little bias, or the bias is very widespread. And, I have to ask, why are you fixated on possible spin?

[Noclevername]

Yes, they could be spinning the story. But a bunch of different news sources all seem to agree on the facts - it seems either that there is little bias, or the bias is very widespread.

Or that all the news "sources"* got their info from the same press release, as they often do.





*Or perhaps I should have said "news" sources.

[NEOWatcher]

And, I have to ask, why are you fixated on possible spin?
I didn't mean to give that impression. It's just that I'm surprised similar situations like this haven't happened in the past, especially when related to plants around here that seem to shut down for long periods of time quite often.
But; yes, I also understand that what I am perceiving may simply be the inaptitude of the media to be able to relate the facts to anything else.

As a side note sparked by the story... I wonder what percentage of isotopes are imported to the US, and if there was a disruption in the initial phases of homeland security.

[The Supreme Canuck]

I didn't mean to give that impression. It's just that I'm surprised similar situations like this haven't happened in the past, especially when related to plants around here that seem to shut down for long periods of time quite often.

I think the problem is that the disruption is so long in this case. Shortages have occurred before, but just not to this extent.

As a side note sparked by the story... I wonder what percentage of isotopes are imported to the US, and if there was a disruption in the initial phases of homeland security.

Hm. That would be interesting to see. I can't find anything online about it.

[HenrikOlsen]

I didn't mean to give that impression. It's just that I'm surprised similar situations like this haven't happened in the past, especially when related to plants around here that seem to shut down for long periods of time quite often.
As mentioned earlier, production has been concentrated on fewer and fewer plants, so in the past, 2/3 of the production capacity wasn't in a single plant, so it couldn't happen.