Nuclear data for light charged particle induced production of emerging medical radionuclides

Whatever the radionuclide to be used in nuclear medicine, it is essential to know the expected yield during the production process, but also of all the possible radionuclidic impurities coproduced, that can have an impact on the product final quality, as well as in the related waste management. The availability of the majority of emerging radioisotopes, including the theranostic ones or pairs, is mainly limited by the fact that, for most of them, the optimal production route still needs to be strengthened if not defined in some cases. The aim of this work is to present a review on the charged particle induced nuclear cross sections to produce some emerging radionuclides for medical applications to show that all types of projectiles should be considered in the quest of producing medical radionuclides. An accurate analysis of the production routes is presented for some radionuclides (Cu-67, Sc-47, Zr-89, Pd-103, Re-186g, Ru-97, At-211) chosen as examples to highlight (i) how the quality of the final product strongly depends on the chosen target/projectile/energy parameters set, (ii) how deuteron production routes may sometimes be more effective than the proton ones or lead to a different impurity profile and (iii) how alpha-particle beams may allow to bypass the limitations occurring when using Z = 1 beams. An overview of possible advantages and drawbacks of the cited production routes and of potential cross sections that still need to be measured, is also reported.