News Archive

29 March 2021
History Committee Zoom Event to Celebrate 80th Birthday of Radioactive Drugs in Medicine

An HPS Zoom "Atomic Cocktail Party" With Barbara Hertz
Wednesday, 31 March 2021, 5:30 pm

Radioactive iodine experiment in 1937, left to right, Arthur Roberts and Saul Hertz. Photo courtesy of Barbara Hertz

Dr. Saul Hertz predicted that drugs such as radioactive iodine (RAI) "...would hold the key to the larger problem of cancer in general, [and] may just be the best hope for diagnosing and treating cancer successfully." Yes, RAI has been used for decades to diagnose and treat disease. Today's "theranostics" (a term that is a combination of "therapy" and "diagnosis") utilizes RAI in the treatment of thyroid cancer. Theranostics is a tracer-targeted approach that is showing success in treating neuroendocrine tumors (like Steve Jobs had) and prostate, liver-cancer, and brain tumors.

Saul Hertz conceived and brought from bench to bedside the medical uses of RAI. On 31 March 1941, Hertz (1905–1950), of Massachusetts General Hospital, administered the first therapeutic use of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) cyclotron-produced RAI. This landmark case was the first in Hertz's clinical study conducted with MIT physicist Arthur Roberts, PhD.

Dr. Hertz's research and successful utilization of radionuclides established the use of dosimetry, a method of making a safe and effective dose for each patient. The collaboration of Hertz and Roberts between physics and medicine began medical practices that have endured for decades as well as into the future.  

This 30-minute Zoom event will be hosted by the Health Physics Society History Committee and will feature Dr. Hertz's daughter Barbara, who will be highlighting the history and current use of radioactive drugs.

For additional background information, see:

The HPS History Committee is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: David Allard 80th anniversary of medical use of radioiodine
Time: 31 March 2021 05:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

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