RAD-iation in Cancer Treatment
By: Joey O'Kelly, Lauren Bahr, and Ellie Magera
Radioactive Isotopes used to treat cancer
Facts
⅔ of patients will receive radiation treatment.
50% of people with brain cancer and receive treatment will survive
59% of people with lung cancer and receive treatment will survive
75% of people with other cancer and receive treatment will surviveRadioactive Isotopes History
“Nuclear medicine was developed in the 1950s by physicians with an endocrine emphasis, initially using iodine-131 to diagnose and then treat thyroid disease.”
Iodine Injections
Brachytherapy pelets inserted into the body
Brachytherapy pelets
Gamma Knife Radiosurgery
Gamma Knife Radiosurgery helmet
Alpha radio-immunotherapy
Pros of Radioactive isotopes in Radiation Therapy
- Effective way to get rid of cancerous tumors
- Prolongs life
Cons of Radioactive isotopes in Radiation Therapy
- You are putting radioactive materials in your body
- Expensive
- Kills more than just the cancerous cells in the body
Works Cited
"Cancer." Wikipedia, 31 Aug. 2016, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachytherapy?scrlybrkr=64b1c005.
"Gamma: How it Works." 5 Feb. 2015, www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/hundreds-desperate-cancer-patients-banned-5114211?scrlybrkr=5d52ff91.
Johnson, Kate. "Backing off from Brachytherapy? Deciphering the Decline." Medscape, WebMD, 5 May 2015, www.medscape.com/viewarticle/844215?scrlybrkr=82c65f7e.
"MIBG Injection." Lee Memorial Health System, 22 Oct. 2014.
"Nuclear Reactor as a Cancer Cure." Phys.org, Science X, 5 Mar. 2005, phys.org/news/2005-03-nuclear-reactor-cancer.html?scrlybrkr=202a562e#.
"Radioimmunotherapy Can Destroy HIV-Infected Cells, Study Shows." Huffington Post, 3 Dec. 2013, www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/03/radioimmunotherapy-hiv-infected-cells_n_4373622.html?scrlybrkr=bf09a7a0.
"Radioisotopes in Medicine." World Nuclear Association, Sept. 2016, www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/non-power-nuclear-applications/radioisotopes-research/radioisotopes-in-medicine.aspx.
The Science Behind Radiation Therapy. American Cancer Society, 27 Oct. 2014, www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/webcontent/003019-pdf.pdf.
"Understanding Radiation Therapy." Cancer.Net, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Nov. 2015, www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/how-cancer-treated/radiation-therapy/understanding-radiation-therapy.