RESTON, Va., Sept. 9 (UPI) -- A worldwide shortage of a radioisotope is starting to affect U.S. nuclear medicine testing, researchers at the Society of Nuclear Medicine said.
SNM said it conducted a survey of nuclear pharmacies that supply the critical radioisotope Technetium-99m -- used in more than 16 million nuclear medicine tests each year in the United States -- to assess, anecdotally, the impact of the worldwide medical isotope shortage. According to the survey, 60 percent of the pharmacies have been impacted by the shortage.
Technetium-99m is a product of Molybdenum-99, which is produced in only six nuclear reactors around the world, none located in the United States, SNM said. The isotope is in short supply due to reactor technical problems and maintenance shutdowns.
To cope with the shortage, some patient nuclear medicine tests, used to detect cancers and cardiac conditions, are being delayed, some for longer than a month, the survey revealed.
Dr. Michael Graham, president of SNM, said in some cases, waiting even a day can severely impact care, especially if the condition is progressing rapidly.
"Getting information early on in the disease progression is critical, and is one of the real benefits of molecular imaging," said Graham
In addition to delays, more than 80 percent of nuclear physicians and specialists are decreasing the dosage, which can lead to "longer exposure and less effective imaging scans," said Robert Atcher, chairman of SNM's Domestic Isotope Availability Task Force.
The survey results are available at http://www.snm.org/docs/Survey%208.10.09%20-%20Petten%20and%20NRU%20shutdown%20-%20Results%20-%20Pharmacists.pdf.
