Saskatoon cyclotron now supplying radioisotopes to Royal University Hospital

Medical isotopes used at Saskatoon's Royal University Hospital will now be produced right here at home.

The Saskatchewan Centre for Cyclotron Sciences started supplying RUH with medical isotopes earlier this month.

"In 2011, we committed $30 million to the Sylvia Fedoruk Centre for Nuclear Innovation and $13 million to building the cyclotron," said Premier Brad Wall.

"Not only are new, technical jobs being created, we will now be providing medical isotopes right here in Saskatchewan that will improve health care for many Saskatchewan patients."

• Saskatoon cyclotron cleared to start making medical isotopes for patients

Previously, the hospital received its isotopes from Hamilton, Ont. The move will mean easier access, meaning earlier starts to clinic hours for PET-CT scans and fewer missed appointments due to transportation delays or cancellations.

Researchers at the U of S Prostate Imaging Group have already started using them in their work in studying prostate cancer.

The isotopes are created by irradiating material with a beam of particles created by the cyclotron. Then, the isotopes are joined to drug molecules, which are then injected into a patient.

Construction of the $25-million facility started in 2013, and was finished in November 2014.