Most readers will have heard about the problems Canada is having with medical isotopes. However, you may not know why we are having the problem or what is being done to fill the gaps in the medical system.

Medical isotopes are produced by small nuclear reactors predominately for the diagnosis of cancer and cardiac disease.  Canada is the world’s largest producer of these isotopes, producing about 40 per cent of the global supply.  We do this with a nuclear reactor that is close to 50 years old. The other isotope producing countries also have reactors about the same age.

Canada planned to replace its now 50 year old reactor by building two new reactors (called Maple 1 and Maple2) over a decade ago . These new reactors have never been able to work. These reactors were supposed to guarantee Canada’s future supply of isotopes. When they didn’t work, we were stuck using the old reactor.

The problems with the new reactors first surfaced around 2000, but more seriously in 2003. The continued cost overruns by the Liberals cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of dollars until the program to try to make the Maples work was cancelled in 2008. Consequently, when our 50 year old reactor goes down, Canada doesn’t have any ability to produce isotopes.

Knowing that an isotope shortage could occur sometime in the future, the federal government has been preparing a contingency plan over the last 18 months for just such a situation.  The plan has a few different solutions to help alleviate the isotope shortage.

First, other isotopes not produced by the reactor are used on lower priority cases. Secondly, MRI and PET (positron emitting technology) scanners can be used in some cases. In addition, international reactors are increasing their isotope production to help ease the shortage.  While Canadians and the whole world hoped that this isotope shortage could have been avoided, these contingency plans have helped and will continue to help Canadians to get the medical testing that they need.

I’m Brad Trost your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt.  You can call my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133 or drop by our two offices to visit: Saskatoon Monday-Friday or Humboldt Tuesday and Wednesday. I always appreciate your feedback.