Indigenous isotopes cut treatment costs, time

27 May 2012 - SCANNING technology has evolved tremendously in recent years and new techniques are increasingly being used around the world. While the traditional CT (computed tomography) scan and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) shows the structure of an organ, hospitals are increasingly using nuclear scans, deploying isotopes to get an image of the human body and the function of different organs. A few Indian hospitals, in the metros and major cities, have been using nuclear scan, but the isotopes have to be imported from Europe. The costs are prohibitive and patients had to wait for long to get a diagnosis.

Scientists at Mumbai-based Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), the country’s premier, multi-disciplinary nuclear research centre, recently developed indigenous isotopes. The department of nuclear medicine of Bombay Hospital then joined hands with the scientists and performed isotope labeling and ensured quality for safe administration to patients.

Says Dr B. A. Krishna, head of the department of nuclear medicine, Bombay Hospital: “The product showed a high degree of purity and very high image quality because they were labeled to Technetium isotope, which is the best isotope for gamma camera imaging.”

The technique has now been standardised and nine patients of Parkinson’s disease and eight of neuro-endocrine cancers have been scanned so far with excellent quality images. Krishna says the major advantages of using the indigenously produced isotopes is that it costs just a fourth of the European ones and the results are out in no time. Critical Parkinson’s and cancer diagnosis is available in just four hours.

Dr M.R.A. Pillai, head of Radiopharmaceuticals division of BARC, says he is satisfied that the clinical studies done with the products developed by the research centre are giving excellent images. These have been cleared by the Radiopharmaceuticals Committee (RPC) .

Bombay Hospital has set up two new scanning procedures now: DAT scan and Technetium - HYNIC-TOC scan. In the former technique, the radio-pharmaceutical is injected intravenously and the image of the brain is obtained after four hours. It is used for diagnosing Parkinson’s disease. It helps in detecting the areas of the brain affected by Parkinson’s disease. HYNIC-TOC is a whole body scanning technique in which the radiopharmaceutical is injected intravenously and whole body images are obtained after four hours; these are used for diagnosis of neuro-endocrine cancers. (segue...) Fonte: Khaleej Times.