Japanese Journal of Health Physics

The original research is created out of the learning of history. Radon research has been performed from the beginnings of 20 century, right after discovery of uranium radioactivity. In this review, the history of radon research in atmosphere in the period from the beginnings to 1980s was mainly described at the viewpoint of health physics (health effects) including measuring methods, properties of radon short-lived progeny and the dose estimation. Radon in the uranium mine air and in water of the spa has been described a little. Radon long-lived progeny, thoron (radon-220) and thoron progeny were not described excluding something in connection with radon-222, and actinon (radon-219) was not mentioned at all.

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Nuclear medicine therapy is the treatment method that delivers radiation from inside the lesion where the therapeutic agent has accumulated. This can be performed minimally invasively with high antitumor efficacy against metastatic lesions throughout the body. In 2021, Lu-177 DOTATATE for neuroendocrine tumors and I-131 MIBG for malignant pheochromocytoma were approved by insurance in Japan. In addition to conventional I-131 therapy, novel radionuclides such as Lu-177 and Ra-223 are changing the current status of nuclear medicine therapy. In addition, new therapeutic radionuclides, the alphaemitting radionuclide At-211 and Ac-225, beta-emitting radionuclides Cu-64 and Cu-67, can be produced at several facilities in Japan. With the advent of new therapeutic agents, the laws governing their treatment are being revised to reflect current conditions. On the clinical side, the combination of nuclear medicine therapy and diagnostic imaging, Radio-theranostics, is being implemented more frequently than ever before. In addition, a therapeutic agent for prostate cancer, Lu-177 PSMA, was approved by the FDA. In the immediate future, this is expected to further increase the clinical use of nuclear medicine agents by Radio-theranostics.

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