Lutetium-177
New Horizons in Cancer Treatment
Recent developments in nuclear medicine have advanced the use of Lutetium-177 (Lu-177). This isotope may become the most widely used isotope for therapeutic treatments in the near future. It has already passed clinical trials and FDA approval for the treatment of prostate cancer and is being studied for the treatment of other cancers as well.
Lu-177 is not made by the fission of U-235, but a nuclear reactor is required to produce it. Lu-177 is made by the neutron transmutation process, or activation process, whereby a parent isotope is bombarded with neutrons to produce another isotope. In this case, Ytterbium-176 (Yb-176) is placed in a nuclear reactor in the form of a target. After irradiation for days or weeks, the target is removed and the Lu-177 is separated from the Yb-176 in a chemical process.
The demand for Lu-177 will continue to grow over the next decade, requiring more nuclear reactor production and hot cell capabilities than are currently available.
New Horizons in Cancer Treatment
Recent developments in nuclear medicine have advanced the use of Lutetium-177 (Lu-177). This isotope may become the most widely used isotope for therapeutic treatments in the near future. It has already passed clinical trials and FDA approval for the treatment of prostate cancer and is being studied for the treatment of other cancers as well.
Lu-177 is not made by the fission of U-235, but a nuclear reactor is required to produce it. Lu-177 is made by the neutron transmutation process, or activation process, whereby a parent isotope is bombarded with neutrons to produce another isotope. In this case, Ytterbium-176 (Yb-176) is placed in a nuclear reactor in the form of a target. After irradiation for days or weeks, the target is removed and the Lu-177 is separated from the Yb-176 in a chemical process.
The demand for Lu-177 will continue to grow over the next decade, requiring more nuclear reactor production and hot cell capabilities than are currently available.