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The medical case for an Australian national cyclotron facility
Author(s) -
Morris John C.,
Boyd Rex E.,
Smith Robert S.,
Hardy Clarence J.,
Towson Jocelyn E.,
Bautovich George J.,
Hutton Brian F.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1985.tb113451.x
Subject(s) - cyclotron , political science , nuclear physics , physics , plasma
Both a national cyclotron and a reactor are necessary to provide Australia with the complete range of radioisotopes. For the last 17 years, Australia has been well supplied with reactor radioisotopes by the Australian Atomic Energy Commission which provides a daily nationwide distribution service, but, to be self‐sufficient, Australia also needs a national cyclotron. Many cyclotron radioisotopes are too shortlived for importation, and the demand can be met only by domestic production. Despite the availability of the necessary expertise and instrumentation, Australian patients are being denied a wide range of important clinical investigations because of the lack of suitable radioisotopes, for example, krypton‐81m and iodine‐123. An Australian medical cyclotron is overdue. Australia and New Zealand are the only developed countries that do not possess at least one medical cyclotron. The historical events in Australia's quest for a medical cyclotron are summarized, and the medical reasons why the writers believe that Australia should now acquire its own medical cyclotron are reviewed.