Is strontium-89 still available?
Radiopharmaceuticals should only be used by physicians who are qualified by training and experience in the safe use and handling of radionuclides.
What is the role of samarium-153?
A radioactive substance used to treat bone cancer and other cancers that have spread to the bone. Samarium Sm 153 is a radioactive form of the element samarium. It collects in bone, where it releases radiation that may kill cancer cells.
What type of radiation does samarium-153 emit?
Samarium-153 is a man-made radionuclide that emits beta particles of 0.81 MeV (20%), 0.71 MeV (30%), and 0.64 MeV (50%) and gamma photons of 103 keV (28%). It has a relatively short half-life of 46.3 hours and, consequently, a relatively high dose rate.
How effective is Strontium-89?
Strontium-89 therapy is an effective palliative treatment of bone metastases from prostate cancer, with analgesic effectiveness in 80%.
How is samarium-153 produced?
Samarium-153 was produced by neutron activation of raw materials of Samarium-152 trioxide. Samarium-153 produces beta particles that work to reduce bone pain due to cancer and gamma rays that act as imaging agents and allow patients to perform imaging through gamma cameras.
What is strontium-89 used for?
Strontium chloride Sr 89 is used to help relieve the bone pain that may occur with certain kinds of cancer. The radioactive strontium is taken up in the bone cancer area and gives off radiation that helps provide relief of pain.
What is samarium used for?
Samarium is used to dope calcium chloride crystals for use in optical lasers. It is also used in infrared absorbing glass and as a neutron absorber in nuclear reactors. Samarium oxide finds specialised use in glass and ceramics.
What is strontium 89 used for?
How is strontium 89 produced?
Strontium-89 has a half-life of 50.563 days and is produced via neutron capture by an enriched strontium-88 oxide target using the DOE’s High Flux Isotope Reactor, located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The product has a radionuclidic purity of >99.8% and is sold as strontium chloride solution in 0.1 N HCI.
How is strontium 89 given?
The radioactive strontium is taken up in the bone cancer area and gives off radiation that helps provide relief of pain. Strontium chloride Sr 89 is to be given only by or under the direct supervision of a doctor with specialized training in nuclear medicine or radiation oncology.
Why is samarium special?
Samarium is a Rare earth element with hardness and density similar to those of zinc. With the boiling point of 1794 °C, samarium is the third most volatile lanthanide after ytterbium and europium; this helps separation of samarium from ore. At ambient conditions, samarium normally has a rhombohedral structure (α form).
What does samarium look like?
Samarium is a bright, fairly hard, silvery white metal. It is one of the lanthanide rare earth metals. It is stable in air at normal temperatures, but ignites in air when the temperature is 150 oC or higher. In moist air it tarnishes to the oxide.