India to Set Up Nuclear Reactor for Cancer Treatment in Visakhapatnam

On October 12, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) announced the establishment of a dedicated nuclear reactor in Visakhapatnam to produce medical isotopes aimed at cancer treatment.

This move is designed to boost India's self-reliance in the field of radioisotopes and make cancer treatment more affordable. The announcement was made by a senior official from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).

Radioisotopes are unstable atomic nuclei that release energy and particles as they decay into stable forms. These are widely used in nuclear medicine for imaging and treatment of cancer.

The proposed reactor will be built under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model and will be the first in India dedicated entirely to the production of medical isotopes for diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other diseases.

Currently, India does not have any nuclear reactors solely dedicated to medical isotope production. Existing reactors also conduct research in physics and radiation sciences.

BARC currently supplies approximately 200,000 units of nuclear materials annually to Indian medical institutions for diagnosis and treatment of diseases like cancer.