Doubling Down on Hope: How Canada is Shaping the Future of Nuclear Medicine

© Courtesy of Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council

Doubling Down on Hope: How Canada is Shaping the Future of Nuclear Medicine

World Cancer Day falls on February 4th every year. As we consider the lives and families that have been touched by cancer, we must also recognize the important role Canada can play in the global fight against cancer.

Canada has a long history as a world leader in the production and use of medical isotopes, serving both Canadian patients and hospitals, in addition to healthcare facilities around the world. Nuclear medicine and radiopharmaceuticals are used in various applications: from diagnostic imaging; to treating illnesses like cancer by providing a precise, targeted dose of radiation directly to a tumour; to sterilizing medical equipment and implantable devices.

The world’s very first cancer treatment using Cobalt-60 to treat brain cancer happened here in Canada at Victoria Hospital in London in 1951. Since then, Canada has been at the forefront of medical discoveries using isotopes. With several world-class hospitals and research centres, Canadian experts are leveraging the power of isotopes to revolutionize the way our doctors diagnose, stage, and treat cancers.

Canada has also been a longstanding frontrunner in the production of these life-saving isotopes. Beginning in 1970 with the NRU Reactor’s decades of service producing Molybdenum-99 for diagnostic imaging, the construction of the world’s largest cyclotron at TRIUMF in 1974, and McMaster commencing production of Iodine-125 production for brachytherapy, Canada’s network of research reactors and cyclotrons have built Canada’s reputation as a global leader in this field.

What’s also unique about Canada is our use of CANDU nuclear power reactors, which have been specially outfitted for isotope production. The power reactors at Bruce Power and Ontario Power Generation’s Picking facilities have already been producing more than half of the global supply of Cobalt-60 for decades. More recently, using specialized tooling and delivery systems, Bruce Power and OPG’s Darlington reactors are now producing high yields of promising isotopes at a scale that’s unmatched almost anywhere in the world.

With a new unit coming online in October 2024, Bruce Power now produces enough Lutetium-177, used to treat prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumours, to meet the entire current global demand for clinical trials. Darlington, stepping in to meet unmet needs from other aging research reactors around the world, will now produce enough Molybdenum-99 to meet the entire North American demand and will be exploring other isotopes in 2025.

As demand for medical isotopes grows in the face of new drug breakthroughs, the global nuclear medicine market will reach up to $33 billion USD by 2031. With our unique capacity as a producer and historic leader, Canada is well poised to supply this growing demand.

That’s why the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council—a not-for-profit organization representing over 100 companies and institutions across Canada—launched its Isotopes for Hope campaign to enable solutions to double Canada’s isotope production by 2030.

Looking ahead to Canada's future as a global isotope superpower, we face not just an economic opportunity but also a chance to connect patients worldwide with life-saving isotopes.

By 2030, 70 per cent of global cancer deaths will occur in lowand middle-income countries (LMICs). Recognizing this, the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) launched Rays of Hope, a global cancer initiative to improve global access to radiotherapy infrastructure, particularly in LMICs. Since launching in 2022, more than $70 million USD has been pledged from over 50 countries.

It's time for Canada to step up and join this initiative alongside the international isotope community. We must leverage our historic leadership in this field to ensure patients around the world have access to revolutionary cancer care. It’s not just an opportunity to become the global leader in the fight against cancer; it’s our responsibility.

Learn more at CanadianIsotopes.ca