Nuclear data for medical applications: An overview of present status and future needs

M.Qaim Syed,A Plompen,S Kopecky,F.-J Hambsch,S Oberstedt,J Heyse,P Siegler,W Mondelaers,P Schillebeeckx

doi:10.1051/epjconf/201714608001

Abstract

A brief overview of nuclear data required for medical applications is given. The major emphasis is on radionuclides for internal applications, both for diagnosis and therapy. The status of the presently available data is discussed and some of the emerging needs are outlined. Most of the needs are associated with the development of non-standard positron emitters and novel therapeutic radionuclides. Some new developments in application of radionuclides, e.g. theranostic approach, multimode imaging, radionanoparticles, etc. are described and the related nuclear data needs are discussed. The possible use of newer irradiation technologies for medical radionuclide production, e.g. intermediate energy charged-particle accelerators, high-power electron accelerators for photon production, and spallation neutron sources, will place heavy demands on nuclear data.

Highlights

Introduction and general overviewNuclear data are needed for applications in many fields
The basic aim of the related data is to provide a fundamental base for external radiation therapy and, more importantly, for optimum production and internal application of radionuclides
Despite the great success of the low energy nuclear reactions to produce most of the non-standard positron emitters with high radionuclidic purity, there are several important positron emitters which can be produced on a clinical scale only via intermediate energy chargedparticle beams (E = 40–100 MeV)

Summary

Introduction and general overview

Nuclear data are needed for applications in many fields. The basic aim of the related data is to provide a fundamental base for external radiation therapy and, more importantly, for optimum production and internal application of radionuclides. Demands a special type of radionuclide, its selection being dependent on its decay data. A complete set of decay data is needed to calculate the radiation dose. The production of a radionuclide demands a knowledge of nuclear reaction cross sections. These data are important to (i) determine the optimum energy range for the production of the desired radionuclide,. This article gives an overview of the nuclear data needed for medical applications, mainly those related to internal applications of radionuclides. The emphasis is on data for novel radionuclides, where the needs are extensive and often demanding

Diagnostic radionuclides

Therapeutic radionuclides

Non-standard positron emitters

Novel therapeutic radionuclides

Concluding remarks and future data needs