THE SOUTH-AFRICAN NATIONAL ACCELERATOR CENTER - PARTICLE THERAPY AND ISOTOPE PRODUCTION PROGRAMS

The National Accelerator Centre (NAC) provides facilities for basic an d applied research, radioisotope production and particle therapy. To d ate, 851 patients have been treated on the 66 MeV p + Be isocentric ne utron therapy unit while 191 patients have been treated (mainly for in tracranial conditions) on the 200 MeV horizontal proton beam facility. A variety of radioisotopes such as Ga-67, Rb-81/Kr-81, In-111, I-123, and Tl-201 are produced on a regular weekly basis, and more than 1000 consignments of radiopharmaceuticals prepared from these radioisotope s are supplied to more than 30 hospitals and private practices through out South Africa each year. Some non-medical radioisotopes are also pr oduced. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.