NSTP 2025 – National Group

🌐 Accessibility and Production: The Complex Logistics of Delivering Short-Lived PET Radiotracers

Description: Examining the significant logistical and technical challenges involved in the rapid production and reliable delivery of the short-lived radioactive tracers required for PET imaging.

A unique non-market challenge for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) facilities is the extremely complex logistics involved in producing and delivering the radioactive tracers. The Fluorine-18 isotope used in FDG has a short half-life of only about 110 minutes, meaning half of its radioactivity decays every 110 minutes. This necessitates a highly coordinated, rapid, and local supply chain.

The tracers must be manufactured in a cyclotron, a specialized particle accelerator, and then chemically synthesized into the FDG compound, a process that requires strict regulatory control and quality assurance. Due to the short half-life, the cyclotron facility must be located relatively close to the hospitals and clinics using the PET scanner, or the dose will decay below clinical usability during transit.

This dependence on regional cyclotron facilities creates significant operational and financial challenges for establishing and maintaining PET services. It requires synchronized scheduling between the cyclotron production facility, specialized nuclear medicine couriers, and the patient appointment desk at the hospital. This sophisticated infrastructure is necessary to ensure that a fresh, potent dose of the tracer is available for every patient scan.