RADIOISOTOPES AND RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS Radioisotopes are the unstable form of an element that emits radiation to become a more stable form — they have certain special attributes. These make radioisotopes useful in areas such as medicine, where they are used to develop radiopharmaceuticals, as well as many other industrial applications. THE PRODUCTION OF TECHNETIUM-99m RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS: ONE POSSIBLE ROUTE IRRADIATED U-235 99 TARGETS MO PROCESSING FACILITY HOSPITAL RADIOPHARMACY (MIXING WITH BIOLOGICAL MOLECULES THAT BIND AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN THE 99mTC IS IDEAL FOR DIAGNOSTICS BECAUSE OF BODY, SUPPORTING A WIDE ITS SHORT HALF-LIFE (6 HOURS) AND IDEAL GAMMA EMISSION RANGE OF MEDICAL NUCLEAR APPLICATIONS) REACTOR: 6 HOURS MAKES DISTRIBUTION DIFFICULT 99MO BULK LIQUID TARGET ITS PARENT NUCLIDE, MOLYBDENUM-99, IS PRODUCED; ITS HALF-LIFE (66 HOURS) MAKES 99 99m IRRADIATION IT SUITABLE FOR TRANSPORT MO/ TC GENERATORS 99MO/99mTC GENERATORS ARE PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED AROUND THE GLOBE 99MO/99TC GENERATOR MANUFACTURER Radioisotopes can occur naturally or be produced artificially, mainly in research reactors and accelerators. They are used in various fields, including nuclear medicine, where radiopharmaceuticals play a major role. Radiopharmaceuticals are substances that contain a radioisotope, and have properties that make them effective markers in medical diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. The chemical presence of radiopharmaceuticals can relay detailed information to medical professionals that can help in diagnoses and treatments. Eighty percent of all diagnostic medical scans worldwide use 99mTc, and its availability, at present, is dependent on the production of 99Mo in research reactors. Globally, the number of medical procedures involving the use of radioisotopes is growing, with an increasing emphasis on radionuclide therapy using radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment of cancer..