Congressman Zach Wamp on Tuesday commended Energy Secretary Bill Richardson's decision to use an isotope produced at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in clinical trials for treatment of various forms of cancer.

"Secretary Richardson's decision is a recognition of the value of the scientific and technological work done at Oak Ridge and of how one of its most important by-products can be to help Americans stricken with serious diseases," Wamp said. "This is good news for Oak Ridge and it's good news for patients with some forms of cancer."

Acting at Richardson's direction, the U.S. Department of Energy will increase the supply of the isotope Bismuth-213, a decay product of Uranium-233, which is currently in storage at ORNL. Initially the supply will be increased by 30 percent with a goal of doubling the supply by 2002.

"This is a perfect example of how work done in one area can wind up providing advances in a wholly different scientific field," Wamp said. "I recently met with some of the researchers on this project and believe this treatment has the potential of improving the health and life span of many Americans. I will do my best to see to it that ORNL receives any additional funds that it needs to carry out this worthy project."

Bismuth-213 has been used for two years in clinical trials that DOE has supported, primarily at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. These trials have explored treatments for serious forms of cancer, including acute myologenous leukemia.

The research is in a preliminary stage but has shown very promising results.

This type of treatment known as radioimmunotherapy focuses treatment on the tissue that needs to be destroyed and minimizes damage to surrounding healthy tissue. And with radioimmunotherapy, patients can be treated with much smaller quantities of isotopes than with other forms of treatment now available.