Search Results

Indiana University Health Establishes Center of Excellence in Theranostics to Advance Precision Targeted Cancer Therapy

Indiana University Health is establishing a new Center of Excellence in Theranostics, planning to provide cancer patients with more personalized diagnostic and treatment services through theranostic technologies. The project combines advanced medical imaging, precision diagnostics, and image-guided targeted therapy, aiming to enhance access to relevant medical services for patients in Indiana. Partial funding comes from a $20 million donor contribution, with Indiana University providing matching funds to bring total donations to $40 million. According to Indiana University, theranostics is a technological approach that integrates diagnosis and treatment. Clinically, advanced imaging techniques are first used...

2026-08-23

Iran Restarts Cyclotron to Boost Supply of Radiopharmaceuticals for Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Iranian nuclear industry experts have recently resumed operation of a cyclotron used in nuclear medicine, which can produce radioisotopes needed for cancer diagnosis and treatment. According to plans, by the end of Iran's Seventh Development Plan, i.e., March 2029, Iran will have seven such centers to expand domestic supply capacity for medical radioisotopes. A cyclotron is a type of particle accelerator that can be used to produce nuclear medicine radioisotopes and further prepare radiopharmaceuticals. These drugs can be used for the detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of malignant tumors. Data shows that related products produced domestically in Iran include FDG and F-PSMA, primarily serving nuclear medicine diagnosis and treatment for various cancers...

2026-08-21

Brazilian CancerThera Delegation Visits Uruguay's CUDIM to Advance Theranostics Cooperation in Oncology

Following the institutional partnership established between CEPID CancerThera and the Uruguayan Center for Molecular Imaging (CUDIM) in February this year, a Brazilian delegation visited Montevideo, Uruguay, from July 27 to 29 to advance the transformation of the memorandum of understanding into a concrete work plan. The visit focused on multicenter clinical trials, preclinical research, theranostics in oncology, and educational cooperation. During the visit, Brazilian researchers held working meetings with the CUDIM team, covering multiple aspects of oncology research development. CUDIM was represented by its General Director Alarico Rodriguez, as well as radiopharmacist and Technical Director of Radiopharmacy, Dr. Eduardo Osvaldo Savio Queve...

2026-08-20

Yonsei Cancer Hospital in South Korea Expands Heavy Ion Radiotherapy Indications, Three Systems Operating Simultaneously

Yonsei Cancer Hospital in South Korea recently announced that it has further expanded the indications for heavy ion radiotherapy to include head and neck cancer, sarcoma, and recurrent rectal cancer. Since becoming the first hospital in South Korea to perform heavy ion radiotherapy for prostate cancer in 2023, the hospital has gradually expanded its treatment scope to cover pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, and other cancer types. Medical staff, including Proton Therapy Center Director Kim Woong-sub (left), are preparing for proton therapy. (Photo provided by Yonsei University Medical Center) Meanwhile, the hospital's second rotating heavy ion radiotherapy system has been fully commissioned. This brings the hospital to a configuration of one fixed-beam system and two rotating systems operating simultaneously. The hospital...

2026-08-20

IAEA imPACT Assessment Recommends Namibia Expand Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Services

August 18, 2026, the results of the International Atomic Energy Agency's imPACT review show that Namibia has demonstrated a clear commitment to strengthening cancer treatment, while still needing to further expand service coverage, build the oncology workforce, and improve access to cancer diagnosis and treatment nationwide. Cancer is becoming an increasingly prominent public health challenge in Namibia. Data shows that the country records more than 4,200 new cancer cases annually. According to Globocan 2024 projections, this figure is expected to rise to 7,200 by 2040. Breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and Kaposi sarcoma currently account for nearly half of all confirmed cancer cases in Namibia...

2026-08-19

Leshan Accelerates Construction of Medical Isotope Production Base to Promote Domestic Substitution of "Anti-Cancer Nuclear Drugs"

On August 11, at the Leshan special press conference of "Myriad Scenes in Sichuan · Embarking on the '15th Five-Year Plan'", Leshan Mayor Zhao Yingchun stated that Leshan is accelerating the construction of the largest and most comprehensive medical isotope production base in China. Upon completion, the project will help break the foreign monopoly and import dependence on related products, promote the domestic substitution of anti-cancer nuclear drugs, and enable more patients to access domestically produced drugs with lower prices and better efficacy. Zhao Yingchun noted that during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Leshan has focused on building the "China Green Silicon Valley", a world-class tourist destination, and a major regional transportation and logistics hub in the province, continuously promoting high-quality development, with its economic output surpassing 250 billion yuan...

2026-08-12

US Oak Ridge National Laboratory Restarts Tungsten-188/Rhenium-188 Generator Production to Support Targeted Cancer Therapy Research

The US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) recently restarted and upgraded its tungsten-188/rhenium-188 (W-188/Re-188) generator manufacturing operations to meet the demand for the rare medical isotope rhenium-188 in targeted cancer therapy research. The laboratory last manufactured such generators in 2011. Radiochemist Becca Hores demonstrated the assembly process of the W-188/Re-188 generator. Depending on radioactivity levels, these generators must be assembled in gloveboxes or hot cells. Image credit: Maggie Gregg/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US Department of Energy. Rhenium-188 is produced by the radioactive decay of tungsten-188. ORNL irradiates tungsten-186 in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) to produce tungsten-188...

2026-08-12

Dong Nai Province, Vietnam: Nuclear Medicine Applications Drive Modern Medical Development, Focusing on Early Cancer Diagnosis and Precision Treatment

In the development of modern medicine, atomic energy technology is moving from the laboratory to the clinical frontline, becoming an important pillar for early disease screening, precise diagnosis, and effective treatment. In recent years, Dong Nai Province has continuously applied nuclear medicine technology to medical examinations and treatments, particularly in areas such as cancer, stroke, traumatic brain injury, cardiovascular diseases, and bone and joint injuries. Through equipment such as X-ray, gamma rays, CT, and MRI, doctors can observe deep structures and lesions of the human body within a relatively short time, giving patients the opportunity for earlier detection and faster intervention. At Dong Nai General Hospital, approximately 500 patients undergo X-ray or related imaging examinations each day, with digital X-ray systems and multi-slice spiral C...

2026-08-12

Fujita Health University in Japan Advances Research on Expanding BNCT Indications for Deep-Seated Cancers, to Conduct 18F-FBPA PET Exploratory Evaluation

On August 10, Stella Pharma Corporation of Japan announced that it is collaborating with Fujita Health University and other institutions to advance research and development aimed at expanding Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) to deep-seated cancers. As part of this project, Stella Pharma will participate in an exploratory study on 18F-FBPA uptake capacity in deep-seated cancers conducted by Fujita Health University. The study will use 18F-FBPA PET to evaluate the tumor accumulation of boron drugs used in BNCT in deep-seated cancers, and based on the findings, explore the possibility of expanding BNCT indications in the future. The study plans to collect data from 50 cases, including pancreatic cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and biliary tract cancer, to accumulate foundational evidence needed for the development of BNCT for deep-seated cancers. BNC...

2026-08-11

Former U.S. President Biden's Prostate Cancer Progress: Has Received Radiation Therapy and Hormone Therapy

The health condition of former U.S. President Joe Biden has recently drawn renewed attention. In an interview video, his son Hunter Biden stated that after Biden was diagnosed with prostate cancer, the cancer cells had metastasized, spreading to the bones and other parts of the body, and described the process as extremely painful. According to relevant information, Biden, now 83 years old, disclosed in May 2025 that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, with cancer cells confirmed to have spread to the bones at that time. In October, a Biden spokesperson announced that he was undergoing radiation therapy and hormone therapy. Radiation therapy is one of the common nuclear technology medical applications in tumor treatment, primarily using ionizing radiation on tumor tissue to...

2026-08-10

South Korea to Resume Actinium-225 Production Next Year to Ease Shortage of Raw Materials for Anti-Cancer Radiopharmaceuticals

South Korea's domestic production project for actinium-225 (Ac-225), a radioisotope used in next-generation cancer treatment, is expected to resume next year after being stalled for more than a year. Funding was secured in the first half of this year, and the Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences (KIRAMS) plans to complete facility construction and trial production before launching full-scale production in the second half of next year, aiming to alleviate the raw material shortage facing domestic clinical research and radiopharmaceutical development. KIRAMS is affiliated with the Ministry of Science and ICT. The institute received approval from the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission in May last year to produce Ac-225 using a cyclotron. The project first entered the review process in 2018 and took seven years to gain approval, with initial production originally planned by the end of last year. However, work on upgrading production facilities and procuring equipment was suspended after approximately 2 billion KRW in budget was not approved during parliamentary review.

2026-08-10

Cancer Cryoablation Treatments at Southeast Region Nuclear Medicine Center in Korea Exceed 100 Cases

The Southeast Region Nuclear Medicine Center announced on August 8 that since introducing cancer cryoablation in 2024, the center has completed over 100 related procedures, providing treatment to a total of 104 cancer patients. Cryoablation is a minimally invasive tumor treatment method. During the procedure, doctors insert a thin treatment needle precisely into the tumor site under CT or ultrasound imaging guidance, freezing the lesion at ultra-low temperatures of minus 40 degrees Celsius or lower to cause cancer cell necrosis. As the low-temperature freezing itself has a certain anesthetic effect, this technique helps reduce patient pain, minimize damage to surrounding normal tissues, and promote faster postoperative recovery. According to the center, among the patients treated so far, there are 58 cases of liver cancer and liver metastases, 17 cases of primary lung cancer, recurrent lung cancer, and lung metastases, and 29 cases of renal cancer. Among them, 8 patients underwent treatment for two lesions simultaneously in a single procedure. Liver...

2026-08-08

Professor Lin Guoxian from the BC Cancer Agency Delivers Academic Exchange at the Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

Lin Guoxian: Professor at the BC Cancer Agency, whose research focuses on the development of targeted radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis and treatment of various tumors. To date, he has led/participated in the publication of over 135 peer-reviewed journal articles, filed more than 30 patent applications related to radiopharmaceuticals, and completed the clinical translation of 7 self-developed radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis and treatment of multiple tumor types. During the seminar, Professor Lin Guoxian, based on his team's years of frontier exploration, systematically reviewed the research progress of nuclear drugs targeting PSMA for prostate cancer: first, the molecular design and clinical advantages of F-18 labeled PSMA-targeted PET imaging agents; second, the substantial improvement of tumor targeting of Lu-177 labeled therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals through rational optimization of molecular structures,...

2026-08-07

South Korea Advances First Domestic Commercial Production of Lu-177 Using Wolsong Heavy Water Reactors

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) plans to use the heavy water reactors at the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant to produce, for the first time domestically, the radioisotope lutetium-177 (Lu-177) for cancer treatment. Currently, South Korea relies entirely on imports for this material, which imposes cost pressures and supply instability on local radiopharmaceutical companies such as Cellbion and FutureChem. Industry experts generally believe that domestic production will help build a diversified supply chain and shorten transportation times. The primary goal of this plan is to achieve commercial production of Lu-177, with pilot production expected in 2028 and full-scale production commencing in 2031. Subsequently, KHNP will expand production to include cobalt...

2026-08-06

Bahamas to Strengthen Cancer Control System Based on imPACT Review Findings

August 5, 2026, an international review led by the International Atomic Energy Agency showed that the Bahamas has room for further improvement in strengthening cancer treatment services. The review provided a roadmap for the country to improve coordination of cancer services, reduce diagnostic and treatment waiting times, and enhance patient outcomes. Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau, Bahamas (Image: Pelow Media/Adobe Stock) The imPACT review was conducted jointly by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, at the request of the Bahamas Ministry of Health and Wellness, focusing on assessing the country's cancer control capacities and needs. From June 9 to 11, the expert team visited...

2026-08-06