New Calgary cyclotron expected to improve access to cancer care in southern Alberta

Construction is underway on a new radiopharmaceutical centre and cyclotron in Calgary that will expand access to advanced cancer treatments and diagnostic imaging for patients across southern Alberta.

The facility, being built next to the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre, will house Alberta's third cyclotron, which produces radioactive materials used in medical imaging and targeted cancer therapies.

Currently, Alberta Health Services operates two cyclotrons in Edmonton. Because the radioactive isotopes they produce have a half-life of about 109 minutes, transporting them to Calgary reduces their effectiveness.

The new Calgary facility is expected to improve access to theranostics, a precision cancer treatment that uses radiopharmaceuticals to identify and target cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissue.

The project builds on investments in Alberta's nuclear medicine program and is expected to improve access to advanced cancer care for patients throughout southern Alberta once completed.