Canada is a world-leader in the creation and production of medical isotopes.
It was through Canadian research and development that Cobalt-60 treatment was invented to treat cancer, and we are now a major, global producer of this life-saving isotope in our nuclear power facilities. These medical isotopes have become the cornerstone of nuclear medicine. Canadian medical isotopes are used by doctors in diagnostic procedures to determine what is ailing patients and in therapeutic procedures to treat those diseases.
Not only is Cobalt-60 is the most common isotope used in radiation therapy, hospitals also use colbalt-60 to sterilize medical equipment, including gowns, gloves, masks, syringes and implants.
With the development of Canadian radioisotopes, the cure rate for cervical cancer increased from 25 per cent to 75 per cent. About 1.5 million nuclear diagnostic scans are performed each year in Canada. Canada’s medical isotopes have saved lives in both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures around the world.
Quick facts about isotopes
- Worldwide, there are more than 40 million medical procedures performed each year using isotopes, with about 36 million for diagnostic nuclear medicine and four million for radiation therapy.
- Canada has 45 approved radiopharmaceuticals and 23 approved radioisotopes.
- Around the world, about one person in 50 has a nuclear diagnostic procedure each year. In Canada, this means about 760,000 diagnostic procedures and 76,000 radiation therapy procedures each year.
- More than 40 per cent of all single-use medical devices produced globally are sterilized with cobalt-60.
- More than 70 per cent of the world’s supply of cobalt-60 is produced at Canadian nuclear power plants.
- Canada refines more than 90 per cent of the cobalt-60 market globally.
- About 60 per cent of the world’s market of iodine-125 is produced at the McMaster Nuclear Reactor.
Sources: cna.ca
