UPSC Articles
Eye Cancer therapy in the form of the first indigenous Ruthenium-106
Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Sci & Tech
In news
- Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai has developed Eye Cancer therapy in the form of the first indigenous Ruthenium 106 Plaque for treatment of Ocular Tumours.
Key takeaways
- The handling of plaque is very convenient for the Surgeon and it has been acknowledged to be at par with the international standards.
- So far the BARC plaques made in India through the Department of Atomic Energy have been used for seven cases for Ocular Cancer.
- Ocular tumours are tumours inside the eye. They are collections of cells that grow and multiply abnormally and form masses.
Important value additions
Ruthenium-106
- Ruthenium-106 is a radioactive form of the rare heavy metal ruthenium, which is a “platinum group” metal similar to platinum.
- Ruthenium-106 is produced from the fission or splitting of uranium-235, the type of uranium used in nuclear fission reactors, so it’s found in spent nuclear fuel.
- It’s used in medicine for cancer radiation therapy, especially for eye and skin tumours.
- It’s also used in radioisotope thermoelectric generators that power satellites.
