ANSTO (Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organization) recently began reconstruction of its radiopharmaceuticals production facility with $17.9 million budget. This will allow ANSTO to supply more radiopharmaceuticals to help diagnose and treat the tens of thousands of people who need nuclear medicine treatment each year.

Currently, ANSTO supplies over 70% of radiopharmaceuticals used in the nation's nuclear medicine procedures and this will figure is expected to increase with the reconstruction of the production facility. In addition, when ANSTO's new research reactor called 'Replacement Research Reactor' (RRR) is on line in the nearest future, the Organization will be able to produce a broader range of radioisotopes not currently available to the public.

In nuclear medicine, scans using radiopharmaceuticals can diagnose a variety of conditions from heart disease to cancer. The radiopharmaceutical is either injected or breathed in through a breathing device where it will concentrate in the part of the body under investigation. A gamma camera then detects the location of the radiopharmaceutical and produces an image for the doctor to tell whether the part of the body being tested is functioning normally.

At the kick off event for the reconstruction of the facility on 17 August 2004, Federal Minister for Science, Peter McGauren said, 'in conjunction with the opening of the Replacement Research Reactor in the near future, the new radiopharmaceutical production facility will help meet predicted increases in patient demand over the next 30 years.' The refurbishment and extension of ANSTO's radiopharmaceuticals production facility is due for completion in 2006.

For more information, please visit www.ansto.gov.au