Radio isotopes are atoms that contain an unstable mixture of protons and neutrons. This means that they give off radiation. Some elements like uranium give off radiation naturally but other sorts are made in a lab for specific purposes like radiotherapy for the treatment of some sorts of cancer.
Radiation as a medical treatment has been around for a long time. X-Rays as such were discovered in 1896 by Wilhelm Roentgen and as early as 1901 low dose X-Rays were being used to treat cancer. It was found early on that radiation seamed to treat diseased cells in the body and if a method could be found for confining their effect to the cancerous cells and leave the healthy cells unharmed then diseases which were formerly thought to be incurable could be treated successfully. One of the first successful treatments was for thyroid cancer is where the patient had to drink a radioactive liquid which would lodge in the thyroid gland and kill the cancerous cells.
The atoms of radioactive substances, like uranium, are unstable and as they decay, as the above diagram shows, they give off radiation. This radiation while being lethal in large amounts can be very beneficial when it is used in small doses. One of the first medical uses of this radiation, for medical …show more content…
When radio isotopes are used incorrectly they can be harmful and dangerous to the patient or the doctor, radioisotopes are very radioactive and can be considered very harmful to the wrong sort of people or if used to attempt to treat the wrong sort of diseases/illness. Radio isotopes give off either gamma or X-rays and these rays if not carefully watched can be harmful. When they are used for medical treatments the dosage or amount of rays that the patient is exposed to is carefully figured out in advance and throughout the
Radiation as a medical treatment has been around for a long time. X-Rays as such were discovered in 1896 by Wilhelm Roentgen and as early as 1901 low dose X-Rays were being used to treat cancer. It was found early on that radiation seamed to treat diseased cells in the body and if a method could be found for confining their effect to the cancerous cells and leave the healthy cells unharmed then diseases which were formerly thought to be incurable could be treated successfully. One of the first successful treatments was for thyroid cancer is where the patient had to drink a radioactive liquid which would lodge in the thyroid gland and kill the cancerous cells.
The atoms of radioactive substances, like uranium, are unstable and as they decay, as the above diagram shows, they give off radiation. This radiation while being lethal in large amounts can be very beneficial when it is used in small doses. One of the first medical uses of this radiation, for medical …show more content…
When radio isotopes are used incorrectly they can be harmful and dangerous to the patient or the doctor, radioisotopes are very radioactive and can be considered very harmful to the wrong sort of people or if used to attempt to treat the wrong sort of diseases/illness. Radio isotopes give off either gamma or X-rays and these rays if not carefully watched can be harmful. When they are used for medical treatments the dosage or amount of rays that the patient is exposed to is carefully figured out in advance and throughout the