Tellurium-124

Tellurium-124

Several Iodine isotopes are used in the medical field to target or treat thyroid cancer. Radioactive iodine-124 (half-life = 4.18 days) – which releases β+ radiations – has recently been identified as a help in the diagnosis of the disease thanks to Positron Emission Tomography (PET) technology, like Fluorine-18 or Copper-64.

To produce Iodine-124, Tellurium-124 oxide is placed on a platinum platform in a cyclotron (8-12 MeV). The 124Te(p,n)124I nuclear reaction avoids the generation of Iodine-125, which enables the production of large scale of Iodine-124 through proton irradiation. 124I is then purified before being incorporated into tracer molecules.

Several studies have recently highlighted the efficiency of Iodine-124 in PET diagnosis analyses. Used to target thyroid cancer, 124I combines the well-known diagnostic efficiency of the iodide family together with the individual dosimetry before 131I treatment.

Cortec Health is pleased to provide highly enriched (>99.9%) Tellurium-124 oxide powder which contains only trace impurities:

  • Te impurities : < 0.001% 120Te, < 0.001% 122Te, < 0.14% 123Te, < 0.18% 125Te, < 0.02% 126Te, < 0.04 128Te, < 0.02% 130Te