Nuclear medicine isotope shortage will lead to cancer deaths | Global News Avenue

People will lose their lives due to a lack of specialist medicines to detect diseases such as breast and bowel cancer.

This is a stark warning from experts who say a shortage of medical radioisotopes in the UK means tests to diagnose cancer will be delayed.

It has also led to renewed calls for the UK to develop its own manufacturing facilities rather than rely on imported nuclear medicines.

It follows proposals to build a new £400m medical laboratory on the site of a former nuclear power station in North Wales.

The plan, known as Project Arthur, would see a small nuclear reactor built at Trausfinead, Gwynedd, for the production of radioactive materials.

This type of nuclear medicine is used to help detect cancer tumors in patients and track the progression of the disease.

But no new supplies are coming to the UK after a reactor in the Netherlands was forced to shut down last month.

Professor Simon Middleborough, of Bangor University’s Institute for Nuclear Futures, said: “For every 10 per cent we don’t get a diagnosis, or a person doesn’t get a diagnosis, their chance of dying from cancer increases.”

“This is actually causing people to die from it now.

“These people don’t get diagnosed, they don’t catch the cancer early, the cancer spreads and people die.

“Because of the isotope shortage this month, there will be hundreds, if not thousands.”

Professor Middleborough said this was why he had been supporting Plan Arthur, which was originally announced by the Welsh Government in January 2023.

The project has commissioned a feasibility study and is subsequently submitting a business case to the UK government, requesting cash to approve the scheme to provide the entire UK with the required indigenous supply of nuclear isotopes.

“The business case is there, it’s not new technology, it’s old technology – we can buy it off the shelf,” Professor Middleborough said.

“This isn’t just a Wales thing, it’s a UK-wide thing – we’re all ready and now it’s time to press the green button and move on.”

When radioactive isotopes are injected or swallowed and absorbed by cancer in the body, they can be used to diagnose cancer and treat certain types of diseases, such as prostate and liver disease.

Their use is already a very common treatment or diagnostic method in the NHS.

People typically receive a dose of a nuclear drug, which is put into the body and produces radiation.

For example, gamma rays are a type of radiation. When it leaves the body, its size and location can be detected by a scanner.

But it should not be confused with external radiation therapy, which uses radiation to destroy tumors from outside the body.

If approved now, the facility is not expected to be up and running until around 2030.

Meanwhile, the UK government’s Department of Health and Social Care said it was working to address the current shortage of nuclear isotopes.

A UK government official said: “We know this may be worrying for patients and we are working closely with the relevant companies to resolve this issue.”

“We are also working closely with the NHS and devolved governments to allocate available stock and prioritize patients with urgent needs.”

The Welsh Government insists it remains supportive of Trawsfynydd’s proposals and says it is working with all partners to develop and progress plans.

“We will provide an update on developments in due course.”

However, Glad Cymru MP for the area Liz Saville-Roberts said action needed to be taken quickly to avoid a recurrence of the current isotope shortage.

“The Welsh Government need to push the business case as hard as possible. They need to work out the costs, they need to work with Bangor University and Bangor University will work with this and the UK Government must recognize that – yes – there will be costs, But if we don’t, look at the cost.”

“We’re going to talk about the cost of life.”