Radioisotopes: Finding and Killing Cancer

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Radioisotopes Finding and Killing Cancer

• By Maddie P, Rosie M, and Natasha A

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What is Nuclear Medicine?

• Nuclear medicine is a way to diagnose and treat
  diseases using radioactive substances11
• One of its most common uses it diagnosing and
  treating cancer11

• It allows doctors to detect problems within the
  body without having to do invasive surgery11
• To diagnose, machines use properties of
  radioactive elements to create an image of the
  body11
• to treat Cancer doctors uses radiation11

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What is Cancer?

• Cancer is a disease where abnormal cells divide
  uncontrollably8
• There are many different types of cancer8
• In some types of cancer, the abnormal cells
  spread to other parts of the body8

• Normal cells divide, and when a cell is old or
  damaged it dies8
• In cancer, the mutated cells keep dividing
  instead of dying and they create a tumor8

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http//www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/what-is-cancer
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How Cancer is Detected

• Doctors give a patient radioisotopes by
  injection, inhalation, or orally1
• The radioisotopes will spread and gather in
  certain parts of the body2
• By using PET, SPECT, gamma cameras, bone
  scanners, and other machines an image of the body
  can be created based on the properties of the
  radioactive element and where it is gathering in
  the body9
• These machines sense the gamma rays(energy) which
  are being given off3

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How Cancer is Detected
http//www.scq.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/P
ET-scan.jpg

• Doctors choose different isotopes depending of
  where they think the cancer is2
• Some isotopes would not have an effect in certain
  parts of the body2

PET Scans
http//www.petimagingflorida.com/images/pet_scan.j
pg.
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Common Radioisotopes Used to Detect Cancer1
Type of Isotope What type of Cancer it Detects
Technetium-99 Brain Tumors
Iodine-131 Thyroid Cancer
Phosphorus-32 Skin Cancer
Holmium-166 Liver Cancer
Gallium-68 Pancreatic Cancer
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Nuclear Decay Equations!

• 3215P 3216S0-1e
• 6831Ga 6830Zn0-1e

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Treating Cancer

• Once the cancer has been found it is treated
  using radiation3
• The radiation damages the cancer cells when it
  gives of large amounts of energy4
• Radiation is not harmful to the patient because
• The radioisotopes used have a short half life, so
  the patient is not affected for very long5
• It is minimally invasive11
• Healthy cells are less affected by the radiation
  then the cancer cells are5

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Treating Cancer

• Radioisotopes damages rapidly dividing cancer
  cells because they are sensitive to and easily
  damaged by radiation3

http//ccmb.marshillgroup.com/resource/Image/medic
al20physics/Isocentric_Tx.jpg
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Different Types of Radiation

• Skin Cancer is treated using External Beam
  Radiation Therapy (Teletherapy) 10
• This type of radiation uses low energy radiation
  and focuses it on the cancer10
• The machines used areorthovoltage x-ray machines,
  Cobalt-60 machines, linear accelerators, proton
  beam machines, and neutron beam machines12
• Cancers in the eye, head, neck, and uterus are
  treated using Internal Radiation Therapy
  (Brachytherapy)13
• In Brachytherapy radiation is placed close to the
  cancer in a seed, wire, or rod13
• This can be used with Teletherapy to give an
  extra boost of radiation to the large mass of
  cancer cells13

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During Cancer Treatment

• During treatment doctors use machines like gamma
  cameras to make sure the cancer is regressing
• Radioactive tracers like Copper-64, Iodine-124,
  and Flourine-18 are used to trace the cancer
• During these procedures the size and shape of the
  cancer can be determined
• If the cancer is not regressing doctors know that
  they must try a different type of radiation

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Disadvantages to Nuclear Medicine

• Healthy cells that reproduce rapidly, like hair,
  can be killed during radiation. This causes hair
  to fall out5
• It is very expensive7
• The radioisotopes can be dangerous to handle and
  dispose of7
• The procedures must be fast because the
  radioisotopes have a short half life7
• Pregnant women can not be treated
• Allergic reactions can occur7
• Radiation can not treat all cancers because
  sometimes it needs to be combined with surgery or
  chemotherapy7

http//frenchquarterradiationfreecom/img/dangerrad
s.
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Common Radioisotopes in Treating Cancer1
Radioisotope Cancer Used to Treat
Techtinium-99 Liver disorders, brain tumors
Holomium-166 Liver Tumors
Iodine-131 Thyroid Cancer
Cesium-137, and Cobalt-60 are used to destroy
other types of cancer
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More Nuclear Decay Equations!

• 9943Tc 9944Ru0-1e
• 16667Ho 16668Er0-1e
• 13153I 13154Xe0-1ee

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Bibliography
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used to detect cancer - International Business
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Business News - International Business Times. 8
Sep. 2005. 31 Oct. 2008 http//www.northland.cc.mn
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htm 2Boyd, Rex. "Radioisotopes in Medicine."
Radioisotopes in Medicine WNA. 8 Oct. 1931
ltihttp//www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf55.htmlgt.
3Bergman, David L. "Radioisotopes Frequently
Asked Questions." RADIOCHEMISTRY SOCIETY -
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2008 lthttp//www.radiochemistry.org/nuclear 4"Rad
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ltihttp//www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf55.html 6G
alik, Rich. "CCMR - Ask A Scientist!." Cornell
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Oct. 2008 lthttp//www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/a
sk/index.html?quid1073 7Commitee, (American
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2008 ltwww.radiologyinfo.org/en/pdf/PET.pdf
17
More Bibliography
8Specialist, Nci. "What Is Cancer? - National
Cancer Institute." Comprehensive Cancer
Information - National Cancer Institute. 8 Apr.
2008. 31 Oct. 2008 lthttp//www.cancer.gov/cancerto
pics/what-is-cancer 9Alteri, Rick. "ACS
Cancer Facts Figures 2008." American Cancer
Society Information and Resources for Cancer
Breast, Colon, Prostate, Lung and Other Forms. 31
Oct. 2008 lthttp//www.cancer.org/docroot/STT/conte
nt/STT_1x_Cancer_Facts_and_Figures_2008.asp?fromf
astgt.10Publications, Nci. "Leukemia Home Page -
National Cancer Institute." Comprehensive Cancer
Information - National Cancer Institute. 30 Mar.
2003. 31 Oct. 2008 lthttp//www.cancer.gov/cancerto
pics/wyntk/leukemia 11Freudenrich, Craig C. .
"HowStuffWorks "How Nuclear Medicine Works"."
HowStuffWorks - Learn How Everything Works!. 18
Oct. 2000. 31 Oct. 2008 lthttp//www.howstuffworks.
com/nuclear-medicine1.htm 12Commitee, (American
College Of Radiology. "Positron Emission
Tomography Computed Tomography (PET/CT)
Scanning." Radioology Info. 16 Sep. 2008. 31 Oct.
2008 ltwww.radiologyinfo.org/en/pdf/PET.pdf13Spec
ialist, Nci. "Melanoma Home Page - National
Cancer Institute." Comprehensive Cancer
Information - National Cancer Institute. 31 Mar.
2003. 31 Oct. 2008 lthttp//www.cancer.gov/cancerto
pics/wyntk/melanoma14Usa, American Cancer
Society. "Cancer Screening Overview - National
Cancer Institute." Comprehensive Cancer
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2008. 31 Oct. 2008lthttp//www.cancer.gov/cancertop
ics/pdq/screening/overview/healthprofessional