Cancer-detecting cyclotron announced for Calgary
The government of Alberta has announced a cyclotron and new radiopharmaceutical facility will be coming to Calgary to improve access to diagnostic tests and treatment for cancer, cardiac and neurological conditions.
"It is vital that we have access to robust tools which can help diagnose these medical problems or find tumours as quickly as possible and then to guide the targeted treatment," said Tyler Shandro, Alberta's health minister.
A cyclotron is a machine that produces radioisotopes (radioactive atoms) for use in medical imaging, therapy and research and is crucial to cancer care and treatment.
Doctors say this is a much needed resource for Calgary and southern Alberta.
"This is a huge impact on how we treat cancer," said Dr. Steven Yip, medical oncologist and clinical assistant professor, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine.
"This is going to bring us to a new level of cancer excellence where we can not only enhance the care of patients who are treated now but also the care in the future."
Calgary currently relies on supplies from Edmonton but the drugs have short half-lives and degrade along the journey. Only 25 per cent of what arrives can be used.
The province says having cyclotrons producing medical products in both Calgary and Edmonton will ensure a consistent supply, especially during regular maintenance shutdowns each year.
Alberta Health said radiopharmaceuticals are used to diagnose some medical conditions and treat certain diseases. The radioactive agents are given to patients orally, by injection or inhalation and collect in certain types of organs or cells, helping doctors pinpoint the disease and target treatment.
Dr. Ingrid Koslowsky, Calgary Radiopharmaceutical Centre director, welcomed the news of a cyclotron in Calgary currently, saying patients will reap the rewards.
"If we produce FDG (a radiopharmaceutical) on site, we can easily double the number of patients that we can inject with FDG every single day so that will really help reduce wait times for patients."
The province said the Calgary facility will also help spark research to develop new radiopharmaceuticals that could potentially help better understand the progression of other diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinsons.
The province says it's committing $18.6 million over three years as part of budget 2021 to begin building the cyclotron.
The entire Calgary project is expected to cost $50 million. The exact location of the new cyclotron and radiopharmaceutical facility at the Foothills Medical Centre site is still being finalized but itis expected to be completed in 2024 or 2025.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.