Brussels, 02/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - The first results of clinical trials on 11 patients at Basle Kantonspital and tests in the USA on 37 patients confirm the possibility of killing certain types of cancer using isotopes ((bismuth-213 or astatine-211 and actinium-225 alpha emitters). Commissioner Philippe Busquin welcomed these results, which represent the results of co-operation between the Common Research Centre (CRC) and the Institute for Transuranium Elements and the University hospitals of Heidelberg, Dusseldorf and Gent, the Deuches Krebsforschungzentrum (DKFZ) and the Virga Jesse Hospital in Hasselt. These partnerships have carried out research on the use of this therapeutic method since 1998 and have received significant Community funding - EUR 1.137 million from DG Enterprise and EUR 5 million from the fifth Research Framework Programme.
According to a European Commission press release, cancer-killing isotopes should be helpful in fighting a great number of cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma (haematological malignancies); microscopic, intraperitoneally growing cancers, melanomas, colon tumours and myeloma etc. Only two organisations world-wide are capable of producing such isotopes: the European Commission's Institute for Transuranium Elements and the Oak Ride National Laboratories in the USA. No acute toxicity was observed during the initial clinical trials.