Ontario's Chalk River nuclear reactor, which supplies more than two-thirds of the world's medical isotopes needed for diagnostic tests, has been started up again. This week the federal government passed legislation in an effort to solve the critical shortage of medical isotopes caused by the extended shutdown at the Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL) facility.
The reactor entered a regularly scheduled maintenance shutdown Nov. 18, however the
closure was prolonged after the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission discovered some safety concerns. The AECL decided to keep the reactor in shutdown mode and make modifications required for the installation of two new motor starters for the reactor cooling pumps, and to connect the motors to an additional back-up power supply.
The government chose to intervene, however, as the prolonged shutdown caused the delay or cancellation of certain medical procedures in Canada and abroad, including many that were scheduled to take place at the Sudbury Regional Hospital.
"In terms of balancing that risk with the risk of cancer patients and heart patients who will not be able to get diagnosis or not be able to get therapy, I think the House of Commons made the right decision and approved the startup of the reactor," Health Minister Tony Clement told CTV's Canada AM on Wednesday.
Once injected into patients, the radioisotopes allow nuclear imaging equipment to produce detailed scans of the body.
“The radioisotopes are used in nuclear medicine scans and those are scans we typically do for cardiac illness and cancer (including lung and bone scans),” explained Joe Pilon, senior vice-president with the local hospital.
“Without the radioisotopes we have to look at alternatives (such as using a CT or an MRI or some other diagnostic procedure). But it isn't going to give as good a result as nuclear medicine scans.”
Pilon noted that “the anxiety the family has is the biggest concern as they wait for a test to tell them about the (nature of their loved one's) illness. The longer you wait, the more anxious you can become.”
