What, Why is radiation our friend?
When the majority of people hear about radiation, normally everyone gets afraid and start worrying about their safety. Radiation is perceived to be harmful. However, this is not true in various cases. Not everyone is aware that Radiation can be our friend and there is no need to be afraid. Cancer is a major health problem and it is the main cause of death between the ages of 45 - 65. Cancer is also treated with radiation therapy [1].
Sources: GSI YouTube channel
Radiation therapy how does it works?
Sources: IBA YouTube channel
What’s new? Why carbon ion therapy is superior to proton?
Radiotherapy for the treatment of cancer is undergoing an evolution, shifting to the use of heavier ion species. The new research is focused on using carbon ion to treat cancer more effectively. In Germany, the Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung (GSI) center has been treating patients with carbon ions since 1997. The data from GSI suggest carbon ion therapy has the potential to be a superior treatment modality for certain cancer types [2], but further investigation is necessary. Proton therapy is the gold standard in the treatment of skull base chordomas. However, high-LET beams such as carbon ions theoretically offer biologic advantages by enhanced biologic effectiveness in slow-growing tumors [2].
What type of cancers radiation therapy can treat effectively?
The carbon ions and protons are used in treating radio-resistant or inoperable tumors effectively. The brain, lung and eye tumor are inoperable and few examples of radiation treatment. However, with help of carbon ion various tumors in different region of the body can be treated effectively [3].
Figure 1: Treatable cancer with carbon ions [2]
Where is carbon ion therapy carried out?
GSI operates a worldwide unique large-scale accelerator facility for heavy ions and currently employs about 1.350 people. The cancer therapy with scanned carbon ion beams was developed and brought to clinical reality during a pilot project including 440 patients at GSI. With patient treatment moved to the Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Centre, research activities continue to thrive in the GSI Biophysics department, ranging from basic radiobiology to translational biological modelling, treatment planning, and motion mitigation strategies [1].
Source: Best of Science YouTube channel
Who is developing this technology and what is the status of research?
Although significant progress has been made in the use of particle beams for cancer treatment, extensive research is still needed to maximize healthcare benefits. Improving ion beam therapy for enhanced cancer treatment is the goal of a new European research and training network that will focus on the Optimization of Medical Accelerators (OMA ) project [4].
The OMA project joins 24 institutions from all across Europe and will be coordinated by the Cockcroft Institute in the UK during its 4-year duration. The consortium has been awarded almost 4 M€ by the European Commission to train 15 Early Stage Researchers and carry out a cutting edge R&D program into treatment facility design, numerical simulations for the development of advanced therapies, and novel imaging techniques.
Summary
Radiation if used properly is our friend and will help it the human race will be able cure the radio-resistant or inoperable tumors effectively. However, the technology of carbon ion to treat cancer is fairly young and due this reason the treatment is very expensive. The developing countries have to wait a decade to get this state of the art treatment.
Bibliography
[1] GSI, „GSI website,“ [Online]. Available: www.gsi.de. [Zugriff am 06 July 2017].
[2] K.-S. I. M. M. J. A. C. S. D. J. Nikoghosyan AV, „Randomised trial of proton vs. carbon ion radiation therapy in patients with chordoma of the skull base, clinical phase III study HIT-1-Study,“ BMC Cancer 2010, 2010.
[3] CNAO, „CNAO (National Centre of Oncological Hadrontherapy),“ [Online]. Available: http://fondazionecnao.it/en/. [Zugriff am 15 June 2017].
[4] OMA, „OPTIMIZATION OF MEDICAL ACCELERATORS PROJECT,“ [Online]. Available: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/oma-project/. [Zugriff am 06 July 2017].
This is an interesting article. Thank you for bringing it to our attention @farazamjad. Also, welcome to Steemit! :c)
It has always been my view that traditional means of treating cancer have been too 'broad brush' and inefficient. Whether via chemo or radio, such have been akin to nuking the body's cells, both bad and good - with the result of temporary improvement, along with a number of sad side effects.
This gives me hope as I've always wondered why multiple laser-like directed radiation has not been used to harm cancerous cells at their cross-section without harming the healthy cells surrounding them - the intensity within the tolerance levels of the cells concerned.
More research is warranted.
Incidentally, you may find this article helpful to yourself as a new Steemit user.
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dear @pathforger we hear at particle accelerator facilities are carrying out cutting-edge research and various departments are bring new technologies to solve real life problem and issues. I am glad you found this article useful.
The method to treat the cancer with carbon beam is expensive but as time progress it will be avialable to masses of people. GSI in Darmstadt, Germany and HIT facility in Heidelberg, Gemany has proven that this technology is the futer with minimum damage to the healthy tissue.
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people are afraid of radiation because the term is misunderstood from the begging. radiation is not only that happen in Chernobyl. you know what? radiation is light. light is everything for life. light is the only energy earth is getting. everything that is alive on the earth is using energy that has been radiated from the sun. so be thankful to radiation.
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radiation is all around us and moves the 5mSv is the dose we accumulate per year on average. The addiational doses recived from medical are additions such as CT scans, Xrays etc. Even Flying from one place to another gives us dose that can substantial. However, now it is used to treat cancer in target manner.
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Yes. I understand all of it. I am almost doctor. What i was pointing was your title that you said not all the radiation is bad but forgot to mention light, source of life. <3
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@celsstialme yep you are right...
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