Production of the Auger emitter 119Sb for targeted radionuclide therapy using a small PET-cyclotron.

The use of Auger electrons in radionuclide therapy of cancer is a promising tool for specific tumor cell killing of micrometastases and small tumors. The radioisotope (119)Sb has recently been identified as a potent Auger-emitter for therapy. We here present a method for producing this isotope using a low-energy cyclotron. With this method, it will be possible to produce clinically relevant amounts of (119)Sb radioactivity with high chemical and radionuclidic purity for cancer therapy.