Nuclear radiation in medicine

• Radioactive isotopes

  Used widely in medicine
• Using radioactive tracer to explore internal organs

  1. Inject patient with radioactive tracer

  2. Tracer emits gamma radiation that passes through body

  3. Radiation detected to visualize organ function
• Radioactive tracers used to explore internal organs

  • Check thyroid gland function
  • Detect bone damage or tumors
• Ideal properties of radioactive tracers

  • Emit gamma or beta radiation that can pass out of body
  • Not strongly ionizing to minimize tissue damage
  • Short half-life to avoid prolonged radiation exposure
• Radiotherapy

  Using ionizing radiation to control or destroy unwanted tissue, especially cancers
• Radiotherapy treatment

  1. Radiation source outside body directs gamma rays into body to destroy tumor

  2. Radioactive rods inserted into body to target tumor directly
• Radiotherapy can also damage healthy tissue as radiation passes through the body