BARC develops Eye Cancer therapy
- Posted By
Science & Technology
2nd Jan, 2021
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.
- 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:
- 2- Retinoblastoma
- 2- Choroidal Melanoma
- 2- Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia (OSSN)
- 1- case of Choroidal Hemangioma
- Ocular tumors are tumors inside the eye.
- They are collections of cells that grow and multiply abnormally and form masses.
- They can be benign or malignant. In adults the most common type is metastatic, from another part of the body (lung, breast, prostate, etc).
What is ruthenium-106?
- Ruthenium-106 is a radioactive form of the rare heavy metal ruthenium, which is a "platinum group" metal similar to platinum.
- Radioactive isotopes or forms of elements naturally decay into other elements, giving off radiation in the process.
- 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.