answersLogoWhite

0

Does radiation kill cancer cells

Updated: 5/22/2024
User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago

Best Answer

Yes

User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar
More answers
User Avatar

AnswerBot

2mo ago

Yes, radiation therapy works by damaging the DNA within cancer cells, which prevents them from dividing and growing. This ultimately leads to the death of the cancer cells.

This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: Does radiation kill cancer cells
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Continue Learning about Chemistry

Radiation most likely destroys cancer cells by inducing a process called?

Radiation therapy primarily destroys cancer cells through a process called apoptosis, which is programmed cell death. When cancer cells are exposed to high-energy radiation, such as X-rays or gamma rays, it damages the DNA within the cells. This damage can lead to the activation of signaling pathways that trigger apoptosis, causing the cancer cells to die. Radiation therapy is designed to target and kill cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy surrounding tissues. By inducing apoptosis in cancer cells, radiation therapy aims to shrink tumors and reduce the spread of cancer throughout the body.


How is cesium-137 used in medical servises?

Cesium-137 is used in brachytherapy, a type of radiation therapy for treating certain types of cancer. It is inserted into the body near the site of the tumor to deliver radiation directly to the cancer cells. This targeted radiation helps kill cancer cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.


Why is radioactive iodine dangerous to humans?

Ionizing radiation is any type of particle or electromagnetic wave that carries enough energy to ionize or remove electrons from an atom. When atoms in living cells become ionized one of three things usually happen - the cell dies, the cell repairs itself, or the cell mutates incorrectly and can become cancerous. Not all cells are affected by ionizing radiation in the same way. The cells that reproduce the most and are the least specialized are the most likely to be affected by ionizing radiation, for example those in a forming fetus. Radiation is effective as a cancer treatment because it can kill the cancer cells, however it can also kill or damage nearby cells. When radiation is used to treat cancer it must be pinpointed very carefully.


Which element on the periodic table is used to kill cancer cells?

One element used in cancer treatment is platinum, specifically in the form of cisplatin. Cisplatin is a chemotherapy drug that works by damaging the DNA of cancer cells, preventing them from dividing and growing. It is often used to treat various types of cancers, including testicular, bladder, and ovarian cancers.


Who invented the treatment of cancer using cobalt 60?

The treatment of cancer using cobalt-60 was pioneered by Canadian researchers Harold E. Johns and Sylvia Fedoruk in the 1950s. They utilized cobalt-60's ability to emit radiation to target and kill cancer cells with precision. Their breakthrough laid the foundation for modern radiation therapy in oncology.

Related questions

Good things about radiation?

Chemo radiation kill cancer cells.


How does samarium help kill cancer cells?

Samarium doesn't kill cancer cells. A radioactive isotope of samarium (samarium-153) is used in a chemotherapy agent, but it's the radiation, not the samarium, that kills the cancer cells.


What is radiation treatments?

Radiation treatments use high-energy beams to target and kill cancer cells. The goal is to damage the DNA of the cancer cells to prevent them from growing and spreading. Radiation therapy may be used alone or in combination with other treatments like surgery or chemotherapy.


What type of electromagnetic waves can be used to kill cancer?

Ionizing radiation, such as X-rays and gamma rays, are used in radiation therapy to kill cancer cells. These high-energy electromagnetic waves can damage the DNA within cancer cells, preventing them from dividing and growing.


What are Radiation sensitizers?

Radiation sensitizers are substances that increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to radiation therapy, making the treatment more effective. They can enhance the damaging effects of radiation on cancer cells while minimizing harm to healthy cells, ultimately improving the overall outcome of radiation therapy for cancer patients.


Radiation most likely destroys cancer cells by inducing a process called?

Radiation therapy primarily destroys cancer cells through a process called apoptosis, which is programmed cell death. When cancer cells are exposed to high-energy radiation, such as X-rays or gamma rays, it damages the DNA within the cells. This damage can lead to the activation of signaling pathways that trigger apoptosis, causing the cancer cells to die. Radiation therapy is designed to target and kill cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy surrounding tissues. By inducing apoptosis in cancer cells, radiation therapy aims to shrink tumors and reduce the spread of cancer throughout the body.


What therapies are used to treat vulvar cancer?

Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation from x rays and gamma rays to kill the cancer cells.


How does radiation treat colorectal cancer?

Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays or other sources of radiation to destroy cancer cells in the affected area. In the case of colorectal cancer, radiation therapy may be used before surgery to shrink the tumor, after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells, or to relieve symptoms in advanced cases.


How can gamma rays can cause and treat cancer?

Gamma rays can cause cancer by damaging the DNA within cells, leading to uncontrolled growth. In cancer treatment, gamma rays are used in radiation therapy to target and kill cancer cells. The high-energy radiation helps to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors.


Why exposure to radioactivity is used as a therapy to treat some kinds of cancer?

Radiation has the capacity to kill cells, both cancer cells and normal cells, but cancer cells are less healthy than normal cells, and they are more easily killed, so radiation can kill cancer cells while not killing the patient (although the patient will suffer side effects). Doctors are always looking for what is known as the "magic bullet" which is something that kills only cancer cells but does not harm normal cells; so far we have not found it. If we do invent a magic bullet, than radiation treatments will no longer be used.


Can radiation kill pancreatic cancer?

When ionising radiation interacts with living cells is usually kills these cells. Thus yes, radiation can kill pancreatic cells that are cancerous. However the radiation will also destroy healthy cells (and destroy the pancreas) so the amount of radiation given has to be low and well targeted. This is difficult to achieve and if any cancerous cells remain alive they will regrow the cancer.


What are the medical uses of alpha radiation and beta radiation?

Gamma Radiation can be used in several ways in the medical industry and there have been many significant advances in this area. They can be used for curing cancers and other illnesses. They are used in a beam and aimed at the cancerous cells in the body. They kill the cells, but often, the gamma radiation will kill living cells, leading to permanent damage and could even prove fatal. Tiny beta capsules can be used to treat cancer. The capsules are injected around the cancer and the beta radiation kills the cancer cells. Radiation is particularly damaging to cells that are in the process of dividing. Cancer cells divide much more often than healthy cells. This means cancer cells tend to be killed while most of the healthy cells are unharmed.