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===Ionising Radiation and Cancer===
: Exposure to '''ionising radiation''' is a [[Risk Factor|risk factor]] in [[cancer]] because '''ionising radiation''' can cause [[DNA]] [[molecule]]s to break. When the [[Cell (Biology)|cell]] tries to repair the [[DNA]] it can make mistakes called [[mutation]]s. If this [[mutation]] tells the [[Cell (Biology)|cell]] to replicate constantly then this becomes [[cancer]].
===Medical Uses of Ionising Radiation===
: '''Ionising Radiation''' can be used for both medical imaging and [[Irradiating Tumour|irradiating tumors]].
====Radioactive Tracers====
: [[Radioactive Tracers|Radioactive tracers]] can be used to image specific [[gland]]s, [[organ]]s or trace the flow of [[fluid]]s through [[organ]]s.
: Different [[gland]]s and [[organ]]s collect different [[compound]]s from the [[blood]] stream. A [[compound]] containing a [[radioactive]] [[isotope]] can be injected into the [[blood]] and this will accumulate in the desired [[gland]] or [[organ]]. While there the [[Unstable Isotope|unstable isotopes]] [[Radioactive Decay|decay]] and this can be detected. This can be used to create an image of that [[gland]] or [[organ]].
: [[Fluid]]s in certain [[organ]]s can become blocked. These blockages can be detected by injecting or ingesting a [[radioactive]] [[isotope]] which will accumulate at the blockage. This accumulation can then be detected as the [[Unstable Isotope|unstable isotopes]] [[Radioactive Decay|decays]] to produce [[Ionising Radiation|ionising radiation]].
====Irradiating Tumours====
: The [[Irradiating Tumours|irradiation of tumours]] can be done using [[radioactive]] [[isotope]].
: [[Cancer]] [[Cell (Biology)|cells]] are more sensitive to [[Ionising Radiation|ionising radiation]] than healthy [[Cell (Biology)|cells]] so they can be targeted by a stream of [[Ionising Radiation|ionising radiation]] to kill those [[Cell (Biology)|cells]].
: One method to [[Irradiating Tumours|irradiate tumours]] is to place a pellet of [[radioactive]] [[material]] into the centre of a [[tumour]]. This pellet is encased in a protective layer (to prevent [[Radioactive Contamination|contamination]]) of other [[tissue]]s. Once the pellet has destroyed the [[cancer]] [[Cell (Biology)|cells]] it can be removed.
: Another method is to send multiple beams of [[Ionising Radiation|ionising radiation]] from different directions so that they all cross over at the same point in the body (the location of the tumour). Where the beams cross over there will be a very high [[intensity]] of [[Ionising Radiation|ionising radiation]] which will destroy the [[tumour]].