Distributed Center for Nuclear Medicine of the NRC “Kurchatov Institute”: Historical Background, Current Status, and Evolution Outlook

An integral part of the modern oncology service is the high-tech equipment based on nuclear physics methods. An interdisciplinary approach to the development of nuclear medicine and radiotherapy in Russia’s healthcare will improve not only the access to nuclear and accelerator technologies in our country, but also their efficiency and safety. Here, we review the role of the National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute” (NRC KI) in the development of nuclear physics methods used in medicine, as well as new opportunities and prospects opened up by the creation of the Scientific and Educational Nuclear Medicine Center, NRC KI. The structure and main engineering characteristics of five developed medical radiology complexes, including a radionuclide production complex and four hadron radiation therapy complexes, are considered in detail.