As July 1st approaches, it’s a moment not only to reflect on our shared history, but also to celebrate the achievements shaping Canada’s future. This Canada Day, we have much to be proud of. One standout among our success stories is our global leadership in medical science—especially in the cutting-edge field of medical isotope research, a cornerstone in the future of cancer care. Our strength in this field reflects scientific excellence as well as the deeply Canadian values of collaboration, equality, and community. As James Scongack, Chair of the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council, writes, Canada holds “every piece of the puzzle.” This Canada Day, let us remember that it is through our unity—from coast to coast—that we can bring these pieces together to drive innovation and serve as a beacon of hope in the global fight against cancer.
Kevin Bosch, Chair
The Pearson Centre
Pam Damoff, CEO
The Pearson Centre
By James Scongnack
Canada has always punched above its weight in health innovation. From pioneering insulin to producing the first pacemaker, our legacy is defined by scientific excellence in service of public good. Today, that legacy enters a new era, one that leverages Canada’s health innovation combined with its leadership in nuclear technologies.
Canada’s medical isotope industry is one of the country’s most significant homegrown success stories, leading global production, research, and development for over 70 years. It has built one of the most sophisticated and supportive medical isotope production ecosystems in the world. The first ever cancer treatment using Cobalt-60 took place in Canada in 1951 at the Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario, marking a significant milestone in global cancer care. Today, Canada continues this leadership by suppling over 80% of the global Co-60 supply and producing dozens of isotopes for patients at home and abroad. With a robust supply chain, strong scientific and clinical expertise, world-class infrastructure, ongoing investments in research and skills development, and a growing network of companies, Canada is well positioned to continue to lead the world into the next generation of isotope innovation and shape the future of nuclear medicine.
To strengthen Canada’s leadership in this field and translate emerging innovation into real-world impacts, more than 400 Canadian and international leaders gathered in Toronto on June 12 th and 13 th for the 2025 Canadian Radiotheranostics Leaders’ Summit, the only pan-Canadian event of its kind. Hosted by the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council (CNIC) and a consortium of academic centers (University Health Network, London Health Sciences Centre, BC Cancer, and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), in partnership with the Canadian Medical Isotope Ecosystem (CMIE), the Leaders’ Summit brought together experts from the isotope industry, government representatives, clinicians, researchers, Indigenous leaders, students, patient advocates and more to develop a unified strategy for advancing Canada’s role in isotope innovation and improving equitable access to life-saving treatments and diagnostics. The message was clear: Canada is ready to lead, and we’re doing it as one team.
At the centre of these discussions was Canada’s leadership in radiotheranostics, an emerging field that combines diagnostic imaging with targeted radioisotope therapy. By allowing clinicians to identify and precisely target cancer cells, with limited harm to healthy tissues, radiotheranostics are changing the future of cancer care and offering a beacon of hope for patients with hard-to-treat cancers.
Radiotheranostics exemplify the Team Canada approach, requiring cooperation across multiple disciplines and industries. From core to clinic and beyond radiotheranostics require transdisciplinary collaboration of radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians and technologists, radiologists, radiation and imaging scientists, along with dedicated nuclear infrastructure and a highly specialized supply chain.
Canada’s isotope excellence and state of the art infrastructure have placed it at the forefront of this emerging field. While Canadian innovation is paving the way forward, there is a need for a multi-sectoral, national effort to scale up infrastructure, expand workforce capacity and skills development, continue investments in commercialization and research, and ensure equal access to radiopharmaceuticals and diagnostic scans while effectively incorporating radiotheranostics into cancer care.
This ecosystem-wide collaboration is timely. Cancer rates are rising globally, and the global nuclear medicine market is projected to exceed $40 billion USD by 2033 . Canada has an opportunity to grow its role in the global supply chain and strengthen its position on the world stage. This includes expanding Canada’s position in the international health community by formalizing and deepening its contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) through the Rays of Hope initiative. Launched in 2022, Rays of Hope supports low-and-middle-income countries in gaining access to radiotherapy infrastructure, diagnostic imaging, and cancer care. To date, over 90 countries have already signed up to participate and more than 80 million euros were raised in support of the initiative. However, with the global annual cancer burden is expected to grow and projections estimating 30 million new cases in the next two decades, the world is counting on Canada to lead the global fight against cancer. Over 70% of cancer deaths are expected to occur in low-and-middle-income countries, yet they receive only 5% of global spending on cancer care. As a global leader in medical isotopes, Canada has a responsibility to strengthen access in countries where the needs are greatest.
Canada’s proud past in the medical isotope sector has always been rooted in core Canadian values of equality, collaboration, and community. Ensuring a bright future of Canadian isotope excellence will require not only continued innovation but coordinated national action.
At a time when the world is looking for scalable, life-saving innovations in healthcare, Canada’s medical isotope sector stands out not only for its scientific excellence, but for its collaborative spirit. Canada has every piece of the puzzle from scientific and clinical expertise, production capacity, and an advanced supply chain. By uniting these strengths through coast-to-coast collaboration to put those pieces together, Canada can unleash its full potential and continue to shape the future of cancer care.
- Straits Research. (2024). Nuclear medicine market size, share & trends analysis report by type (diagnosis, therapeutics), by application, by region, and segment forecasts, 2025–2033. 2. Pan American Health Organization. (2024). World Cancer Day 2024: Close the care gap.
Written by James Scongnack, Chair, Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council James has over 20-years of service at Bruce Power in several diverse leadership roles; currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President. He has provided visionary leadership as Chair of the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council since its inception. James is also Chair of the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO), and has a passion for changing the future of cancer treatment and outcomes. He is a proud Canadian who believes that our country must continue to be leaders in the field of medical isotopes and radiotheranostics.
