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Radiation Therapy Physics Final
6
The Physics of Radiation Therapy
Introduction to Cancer
Intro to Cancer
Abnormal or damaged cells grow and multiply when they shouldn't.
These cells may form tumors.
A disease where some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body
Tumors
There are many ways that tumors affect the body.
Tumors
Metastasize
Form new tumors around nearby tissue
Metastasize
Tell blood vessels to grow toward tumors. These blood vessels supply tumors with oxygen and nutrients.
Immune System
Immune System
Trick the immune system into helping cancer cells stay alive and grow.
Ignore signals that normally tell cells to stop dividing or to die (process known as apoptosis).
Grow in the absence of signals telling them to grow. Normal cells only grow when they receive such signals.
Radiation Therapy
Uses high energy particles or waves - photons, protons, or electron beams - to damage and destroy cancer cells
Radiation Waves
Radiation waves are transverse and non mechanical
Photons
A tiny particle that comprises waves of electromagnetic radiation
Photons
Uses x-rays or gamma rays - affect all the healthy cells in their path
Protons
Positively charged parts of atoms that release energy only after traveling a certain distance.
Deliver more radiation to cancer while doing less damage to nearby normal tissues.
Protons
Electrons
Negatively charged with a low energy level
Electrons
Used to treat the skin or tumors and lymph nodes close to the surface of the body.
More Properties
Chemotherapy and other treatments are taken by mouth or injection that usually expose the whole body to cancer fighting drugs.
Properties
Radiation therapy is usually a local treatment.
Our Physical Model
Physical Model
As the radiation is targeted at the tumor/cancerous cells, the ionizing radiation is able to release electrons from molecules and atoms, making ions. In the process, this can break covalent bonds (bonds of DNA structures) inducing more breaks in the DNA. These breaks can damage the DNA of cancerous cells, in turn resulting in the death of the cancerous cells.