Samarium-153 EDTMP for metastatic bone pain palliation: The impact of europium impurities

Radiochemical processing of nuclear-reactor-produced radiolanthanides for medical applications

“…Sm(26.7%) and 154 Sm (22.8%)) target is being used, resulting in an isotopically very impure product containing several long-lived isotopes (e.g. 145 Sm (t 1/2 = 340 d), 151 Sm (t 1/2 = 88.8 y) and 155 Eu (t 1/2 = 4.76 y)) [88][89][90][91]. Therefore, irradiation of a natural samarium target is not preferred.…”

“…During irradiation, minor amounts of long-lived 154 Eu (t 1/2 = 8.593 y) are formed because of neutron caption of 153 Eu (r th = 312 barn), the daughter isotope of 153 Sm (see example above). The ingrowth of 154 Eu limits the shelf life of the product because the maximum amount of 154 Eu that can be administered to a patient is strictly regulated [90,92]. A maximum of only 0.093 kBq of 154 Eu per MBq of 153 Sm is allowed.…”

“…The neutron capture of 46 Ca leads to 47 Ca, which decays into the 47 Sc radionuclide. A therapeutic radionuclide include its suitable physical half-life and its decay to the stable 90 Zr daughter isotope via high-energy b À particles (2.28 MeV). In nuclear medicine, 90 Y is frequently linked to peptides (e.g.…”

“…Pr, 149 Pm, 153 Sm, 165 Dy, 161 Tb, 166 Ho, 169 Er, 170 Tm and 177 Lu. In addition, production methods for 47 Sc and 90 Y using a nuclear reactor are described briefly as well, because the chemical properties of scandium and yttrium are very similar to those of the lanthanides. Nuclear research reactors are commonly used to produce medical radiolanthanides using a high thermal neutron flux to ensure high yield and high specific activity.…”

Separation of samarium and europium by solvent extraction with an undiluted quaternary ammonium ionic liquid: towards high-purity medical samarium-153

“…Consequently, Quadramet has a limited shelf life of only a few days aer being produced, since expiration is reached at the threshold ratio of 0.093 mCi (¼3400 Bq) of 154 Eu per mCi (37 MBq) of 153 Sm. [9][10][11] Additionally, long-lived 154 Eu impurities end up in the waste generated in the hospitals. Removal of these 154 Eu impurities would imply a longer product shelf-life for medical use, leading to an increased availability of 153 Sm and a lower background radioactivity of the treated patient.…”