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.
