Oncology Radiopharmaceuticals are widely used to Treat Cancer Cells
Oncology Radiopharmaceuticals Oncology Radiopharmaceuticals agents are designed to penetrate cancer cells and break down naturally once they attach to a cancer cell. The radioactive compound then decays, causing irreparable damage to the DNA of nearby cells. Cancer cells are particularly susceptible to DNA damage from radiation, and a single molecule of radiopharmaceutical can kill up to 10 cells around a bound cell. Radiation therapy is an important part of cancer treatment, with the National Cancer Institute estimating that nearly half of all cancer patients will receive some form of radiation therapy during their lifetimes. In radiation therapy, a beam of high-energy radiation is directed at the cancerous growth in order to kill it. Recently, however, oncologists have shown a growing interest in using radiopharmaceuticals, which are drugs that contain radioactive particles attached to them. These drugs can accurately target cancer cells and help treat cancer. Although these ...