The shortage has officals at the nation's largest campus research reactor asking many new questions about the isotope called Technetium-99.

The nuclear reactor that made most of the stuff is in Canada and shut down months ago, adding to a critical shortage. The reactor in Canada has now reopened but now another supplier in Europe has shutdown.

Cancer survivor and Nurse Karen Althage knows all too well the importance of radioactive isotopes. and the thought of a shortage of them leaves her frightened for the health of others.

"It's hard to believe that there's a shortage with all the medical research that goes on here. It's surprising to find out that half our supplies are made in Canada," Althage said.

The isotopes are injected into patients undergoing body scans for cancer, heart disease and bone or kidney illnesses.

On Monday, medical experts from 19 countries gathered near the University of Missouri research reactor to try to find a solution to this shortage.

"We're also looking to become a U.S source, because today there is no us supplier in this country. It's all imported from Canada, Europe and South Africa," Director of Reactor Center Ralph Butler said.

Natesan Ramamoorthy of the Int'l Atomic Energy Com. agrees with Bulter.

"All this is towards enhancing the capability to be able to produce an important medical stope which is Technetium-99," Ramamoorthy said.

Without more supply, millions of patients like Althage will be denied the medical help they need.

This isotope injection procedure is used in about 25 million medical diagnoses and treatments each year.  Althage is first to admit that without these isotopes, she and others might have suffered more.