Radiation and radioisotopes for human healthcare applications

The use of radiation and radioisotopes in human healthcare has been one of the early developments in the non-power applications of nuclear science. The field encompasses different facets of the use of radiation in the diagnosis and therapy of a wide variety of diseases, particularly cancer, the formidable challenge of the present century. There has been a significant advan­cement in different areas such as diagnostic radiology, diagnostic nuclear medicine, therapeutic radiation and therapeutic nuclear medicine, including theranostic applications in personalized medicine. The R&D efforts of the Department of Atomic Energy towards ensuring indigenous availability of established radiopharmaceuticals and treatment modalities as well as to develop emerging ones for state-of-the-art radiation-related services have been significant over the years. This article presents the current status, recent developments, clinical translation of developed products and prospects related to the use of radioisotopes and radiation in the two premiere research institutions of DAE, viz. BARC and TMC.