Nuclear Chemistry & Chemotherapy: Radiation Therapy for Cancer

Nuclear chemistry in chemotherapy concerns the nuclear processes, properties and radioactivity associated with radiation therapy. Nuclear chemists process and isolate the radioactive isotopes used to produce ionized radiation in the treatment of malignant tumors impenetrable by conventional procedures and medication.

Purpose

• Certain types of cancerous tumors, due to location or density, do not respond to chemotherapeutic drugs and require the inclusion of radiation therapy into a patient's treatment regimen. In cases where malignant tumors or cells inhibit eradication, oncologists prescribe radiation therapy, also referred to as radiotherapy, for palliative treatment intended to provide symptomatic relief.

Applications

• Nuclear chemistry provides the basis for combined modality therapy, which uses the radionuclide properties of radioactive compounds in conjunction with other cancer treatments to create a synergistic effect and prevent a patient from developing a tolerance to any one treatment agent.

Safety

• Nuclear medicine departments and their staff must observe federal safety protocols regarding radiation, which include using protective shielding and clothing, and wearing radiation badges to determine the amount of radiation exposure received. Radiation safety officers regularly audit radioactively "hot" locations of the nuclear medicine department and use G-M (Geiger-Muller) counters to measure background radiation.