What can stop cancer? Cobalt-60?
How nuclear medicine is helping an individual and society at large.
Can you imagine that the orderly process of replacing damaged cells into new cells in your body stops? This is what happens with people who get cancer and if their treatment is not done fast, it can lead to death. Gamma knife therapy uses cobalt-60’s gamma radiation to destroy cancerous growth. In this paper, I will reflect on the research on cobalt-60 and its impact in the field of cancer, its impact on society and its pros and cons.
“Cobalt was discovered in 1735 by a Swedish scientist named George Brandt. He demonstrated that a blue color common in colored glass was caused by a new element, cobalt. Radioactive cobalt-60 was discovered …show more content…
Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells. When cancer develops, the orderly process of replacing damaged cells, breaks down. As cells become more and more abnormal, old or damaged cells survive when they should die, and new cells form when they are not needed. These extra cells divide without stopping and may form growths called tumors.” .
“Before nuclear medicine application was discovered for cancer, cancer was mostly treated by surgery and chemotherapy. Surgery is a painful method of treatment and chemotherapy has a lot of side effects like- Mouth and throat sores, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, constipation, blood disorders, hair loss and appetite loss.” .
“Cobalt-60 therapy is painless. Patients who are treated with cobalt-60 therapy have fewer side effects. Cobalt-60 therapy can be used anywhere in the body. It is particularly useful in brain tumor patients because it is so precise. Because of its effectiveness and simple design, doctors have used cobalt-60 therapy to treat cancer for almost 60 years.” …show more content…
Its exposure to gamma radiation can lead to radiotoxicity. For example if it comes in contact with water, it can destroy the marine life. And if it comes in contact with the environment, it can destroy the flora and fauna. And if humans come in contact with it, it can destroy their healthy cells and tissues.”7 . “For example, when 2011 Tsunami struck Japan, it went into the radiation plants which was owned by the Tokyo Electric Power Plant (TEPCO). By that it leaked 300 tons of radioactive water into the ground and the ocean. Scientists have been measuring the amount of radioactivein fish and other animals. Several species of fish caught off the coast of Fukushima in 2011 and 2012.That exceeded Japan’s regularity on sea
How nuclear medicine is helping an individual and society at large.
Can you imagine that the orderly process of replacing damaged cells into new cells in your body stops? This is what happens with people who get cancer and if their treatment is not done fast, it can lead to death. Gamma knife therapy uses cobalt-60’s gamma radiation to destroy cancerous growth. In this paper, I will reflect on the research on cobalt-60 and its impact in the field of cancer, its impact on society and its pros and cons.
“Cobalt was discovered in 1735 by a Swedish scientist named George Brandt. He demonstrated that a blue color common in colored glass was caused by a new element, cobalt. Radioactive cobalt-60 was discovered …show more content…
Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells. When cancer develops, the orderly process of replacing damaged cells, breaks down. As cells become more and more abnormal, old or damaged cells survive when they should die, and new cells form when they are not needed. These extra cells divide without stopping and may form growths called tumors.” .
“Before nuclear medicine application was discovered for cancer, cancer was mostly treated by surgery and chemotherapy. Surgery is a painful method of treatment and chemotherapy has a lot of side effects like- Mouth and throat sores, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, constipation, blood disorders, hair loss and appetite loss.” .
“Cobalt-60 therapy is painless. Patients who are treated with cobalt-60 therapy have fewer side effects. Cobalt-60 therapy can be used anywhere in the body. It is particularly useful in brain tumor patients because it is so precise. Because of its effectiveness and simple design, doctors have used cobalt-60 therapy to treat cancer for almost 60 years.” …show more content…
Its exposure to gamma radiation can lead to radiotoxicity. For example if it comes in contact with water, it can destroy the marine life. And if it comes in contact with the environment, it can destroy the flora and fauna. And if humans come in contact with it, it can destroy their healthy cells and tissues.”7 . “For example, when 2011 Tsunami struck Japan, it went into the radiation plants which was owned by the Tokyo Electric Power Plant (TEPCO). By that it leaked 300 tons of radioactive water into the ground and the ocean. Scientists have been measuring the amount of radioactivein fish and other animals. Several species of fish caught off the coast of Fukushima in 2011 and 2012.That exceeded Japan’s regularity on sea