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AN ASSEMBLED PANEL of nuclear medicine experts says that new reactors and better communication are needed to ensure that Canada doesn’t repeat last year’s mistakes and risk the global supply of medical isotopes.

Canada’s health department commissioned the report Lessons learned from the shutdown of the Chalk River reactor after last year’s prolonged unplanned shutdown of the world’s primary source of molybdenum-99, which is mainly used in medical radiotherapy. The incident left medical facilities short of diagnostic isotopes and patients went untreated.

The reactor was shut for routine maintenance in November last year because back-up safety systems had malfunctioned. Work went on longer than expected and the reactor wasn’t returned to service until 19 December.

The report outlines the breakdown of communication between the regulators, reactor operators and medical facilities and suggests an efficient plan for effective future communication. It calls on decision makers to balance the health and safety of the public with the health outcomes of individual patients. It also suggests that the Canadian government consider building a new fleet of research reactors to ensure future supply of the critical isotope.

The report can be viewed at: www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hcs-sss/pubs/qual/2008-med-isotope/sum-som-eng.php