Making optimal use of available molybdenum-99 - Introduction

A Special Author Introduction
Nuclear Medicine Communication 
ISSN: 0143-3636• Frequency: 12/year •  Impact Factor 1.315 • Subscribe Now

By James R. Ballinger

Technetium-99m has been the main radionuclide used in nuclear medicine studies for the last 40 years. Indeed, it was the development of the molybdenum-99/technetium-99m generator, allowing convenient on-site production of the radionuclide, which led to the expansion of nuclear medicine in the 1970s. The introduction of a new generation of 99mTc agents led to further expansion in the 1990s, particularly in the area of myocardial perfusion imaging.

 Until recently, 99mTc has been considered cheap - a couple of pounds per dose for the radionuclide, though the "kit" which takes it to the desired organ system can be much more expensive. Recent shortages have resulted in doubling or tripling of the cost of 99mTc, but it is still a minor component of the total cost of a nuclear medicine study. Although there will be further cost increases in order to ensure a stable supply for the future, these are not expected to be as great as those experienced recently.

But cost is only one aspect of the problem. It is also important to make best use of the available 99Mo, not just in times of shortage but in order to minimise future demands. This has forced us to look more closely at things we vaguely knew about but didn't need to pay much attention to until recently. Indeed, applying the approaches described in this editorial has allowed the author's department to reduce its 99Mo requirements by 25%, with a resultant cost saving of 18%. More generally, it points out the value of going back to first principles on occasion and taking a fresh look at the way we have been doing things for years - the outcome may be surprising! 

To read the full article, click here. 

Don't miss out - further Free LWW Content is available for registered users! Log into your account or register here to read these articles