Photonuclear production of medical radiometals. A review of experimental studies

Generally, short-lived medical isotopes and/or their generators are produced in nuclear reactors and cyclotrons. During the last decade, the rapidly increasing number of the studies on the photonuclear method of production of these isotopes has been observed. Experimental data on the production of ten radiometals (⁹⁹Mo/^99mTc, ⁴⁷Sc, ⁶⁷Cu, ²²⁵Ac, ¹⁷⁷Lu, ⁴⁴Ti/⁴⁴Sc, ¹¹¹In, ¹⁰⁵Rh, ⁶⁸Ge/⁶⁸Ga, ¹⁸⁸Re) in electron accelerators is presented in this review. The advantages of the photonuclear method for several isotopes were demonstrated, its future was discussed. (author)