February 4 , 2012 Idaho video showing production of Bi213. Alpha emitting Bi213 is an important medical isotope due to its half life and short range effect for in-situ cancer therapy. When coupled with monoclonal antibody delivery, it can directly target and kill cancer cells without significant collateral damage. But, it has historically been of limited availability due to its source from aged U233 produced in breeding in thorium reactor fuels. Regardless, the short film referenced here, shows how the Idaho National Energy and Engineering Laboratory (INEEL) has created a 'milking' system for producing larger quantities.This process provides a pathway to move beyond the limited research quantities to broader theraputic use. First uploaded in March 2011, the video can be seen here. A possible use is shown in the CMI poster found here (page 3/4).

September 12, 2011 IsoRay Announces FDA Approval for Brain Cancer Therapy. "IsoRay, Inc. (Amex:ISR - News) announced today that the FDA has cleared its GliaSite® radiation therapy system, a balloon catheter device used in the treatment of brain cancer. The clearance was the major step required to return the GliaSite® radiation therapy system to the marketplace. The system's balloon catheter is a landmark technology that allows physicians to treat more brain cancer patients than ever before with internal radiation or brachytherapy. ..."

May 31, 2010 CMI Joins ANS-EWS in News Conference. Highlighting current reduction in availability of ^99mTc due to offline reactors, several representatives of the American Nuclear Society - Eastern Washington Section and Citizens for Medical Isotopes presented information regarding the loss to patients and the paucity of special isotopes for research in therapies using medical isotopes to local media. See CMI statements on definitions, costs and benefits, and CMI's advocacy position and recommendations.

April, 2010 Cancer patient experiences lack of 'dye' After removal of a cancerous kidney, a patient is informed that the required 'dye' needed to confirm success and whole body assessment for next level of diagnosis and treatment is unavailable. Being an experienced nuclear scientist and physical chemist, the patient easily figures out that the 'dye' is SPECT radioactive isotope ^99mTc. Read about his frustration of being denied something he advocated for others at all levels of public and government opportunities. Ironic that medical professionals must hide terms such as medical isotopes and nuclear magnetic resonance (non-radioactive) with soft words such as 'dye' and 'MRI' respectively.

March 7 , 2010 Precious medical isotopes could be shipped overseas "Scarce medical isotopes produced by a Canadian reactor could be heading overseas when the aging Chalk River facility returns to service, after a year of repairs that cost taxpayers an estimated $70-million. ... Lantheus Medical Imaging, said the price that Nordion is demanding is too high ..."

February 24, 2010 Shutdown of Chalk River nuclear reactor may be extended "Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. warned Wednesday that the shutdown of its nuclear reactor in Chalk River, Ont., may have to be extended to complete repairs that began in December."

February 22, 2010 High Flux Netherlands Reactor Shutdown Begins Petten reactor to be down for at least 25 weeks, further upsetting a weakened world supply of medical isotopes affected by earlier Canadian shutdown.

January 21 , 2010 IsoRay Announces World's First Cesium-131 Colon Cancer Treatment at Cornell Medical Center Doctors "... at Weill Cornell Medical Center performed the world's first Cesium-131(Cs-131) implant for the treatment of colorectal cancer" on October 10, 2009.

December 15 , 2009 NRG schedules Petten reactor repairs "Dutch radiopharmaceutical producer Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG) will begin repairs to the primary cooling water pipework of its High Flux Reactor on February 19, 2010." (A world supplier of medical isotopes continues offline)

October 26, 2009 CMI Presents at RRMC in San Antonio "21st Century Opportunities To Enhance The Supply And Applications Of Medical Isotopes" Troyer/Schenter/Stevenson Abstract

October 21, 2009 Mo-99 supply bill passes House subcommittee
H. R. 3276 To promote the production of molybdenum-99 in the United States for medical isotope production, and to condition and phase out the export of highly enriched uranium for the production of medical isotopes.

October 16, 2009 U.S. Sen. Patty Murray gets $1.25 M for cancer research U.S. Sen. Patty Murray announced that $1.25 million she included for cancer research at Advanced Medical Isotope Corp. of Kennewick has been included in the final version of the fiscal 2010 Senate Energy and Water Development appropriations bill.

September 27, 2009 OSU joins intiative to help with medical isotope shortage Low supplies of radioactive material impacts Salem Oregon Hospital procedures.

September 3 , 2009 Ra-223 targeted for metastesized prostate cancer Bayer AG teams with Algeta of Oslo for worldwide clinical trial of Alpharadin.

August 28, 2009 Isotope costs skyrocket Shortage in wake of Chalk River shutdown leaves hospitals on hook for $750Gs a month.

August 18, 2009 IsoRay Announces FDA Clearance "IsoRay, Inc. (Amex: ISR) announced today that it has received clearance from the FDA for its Premarket Notification, [510(k)] for Proxcelan™ Cesium-131 Brachytherapy Seeds enabling the company to preload Cesium-131 into flexible braided strands and surgical mesh. This FDA clearance allows IsoRay to market Cesium-131 seeds for use in the treatment of cancers well beyond the current prostate market. ... "

August 17, 2009 Feds won't cover PET scans during isotope crisis ... Medicare won't pay for PET bone imaging. And don't count on insurance companies to bail us out, because they often take their guidance from Medicare policy on which procedures to cover and which to exclude. All of which could make the idea of substituting [accelerator generated F-18] PET bone scans for Tc-99m-based tests a nonstarter for any but the very rich. ...

August 15, 2009 Isotope crisis threatens medical care Global production of the feedstock for the leading medical-imaging isotope is low and erratic, putting health care in jeopardy.

August 8, 2009 Isotope shortage means a healthcare crisis The radioisotope is needed to scan for heart disease and cancer. Two nuclear reactors that produce it have been shut down, severely limiting the supply, and alternatives are scant.

July 28, 2009 AAPM: Nanoparticles with radioisotopes developed to treat tumors In a presentation on Tuesday at the 2009 American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) meeting in Anaheim, Calif., researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore described the design of nanoparticles that can carry cancer-treating radioisotopes through the body and deliver them to selective tumors. (Also reported in CMI presentation April 5-10.)

April 5-10, 2009 CMI Presents at Eighth International Conference on Methods and Applications of Radioanalytical Chemistry "Medical isotope development and supply opportunities in the 21st century" Troyer/Schenter Abstract

May 17, 2008 Maple reactor development shutdown not without fallout "...The decision has immediate implications: for AECL's reputation as a seller of reliable nuclear technology sold around the world; for the 2,000-plus people in the Deep River area who work for AECL, and for Nordion's position as the producer of more than half the world's isotopes used to diagnose fractures and treat cancers. ..."

April 14, 2008 US-DOE Isotope Status Presentation 17-March-2008. Summary:

March 31, 2008 Tri-City Herald Editorial
Isotope symposium keeps Tri-Cities at the forefront

Mar. 27, 2008 Tri-City Herald News
Advances in isotope science win a surprising convert

On March 26, 2008 - Mini Symposium: The Cure Starts Here!
Citizens for Medical Isotopes is pleased to announce a short symposium featuring regional and national experts in medical isotopes for diagnosis and therapy to be held March 26th at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick, Washington. Additional Information

Supporting Sponsors of 2008 CMI Symposium
"The Cure Starts Here!"

Advanced Medical Isotopes Corp.

Conover Insurance

Central Washington Building & Construction Council

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

Kestrel Vintners

National Association of Cancer Patients

Picazo House

Tri-Cities Local Business Association

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Updated:
Feb 04, 2012