X-rays

what are X-rays

a form of high energy electromagnetic radiation that is similar to visible light

what do X-rays have the ability to do

pass through most objects and strike an x-ray detector on the other side

x-rays generate images of what

tissues and structures in the body

what are the images that result from x-rays called

radiographs

how do x-rays work

travel through the body and are absorbed in different amounts by different tissues

how is x-ray absorption determined

by radiological density of the tissues that x-rays pass through

how is radiological density determined

by the density and atomic number of the tissue being imaged

what bodily structure readily absorbs x-rays

bones

bones produce what kind of contrast on the x-ray detector

high contrast (appear white)

what bodily structure(s) allow x-rays to easily pass through

fat, muscles and air filled cavities

fat, muscles and air filled cavities produce what kind of contrast on x-ray detectors

low contrast (appear gray)

true or false: x-rays can work as a diagnostic

true

what can radiographs detect

bone fractures, arthritis, dental problems, certain tumors and abnormal masses, pneumonia, foreign objects

what are mammographs able to detect

breast cancer and calcium

when detected on a mammographs how do breast cancer tumors appear

as masses that contrast the background

what does calcium buildup look like on mammographs

very bright specks

specific patterns of micro calcifications can indicate what

cancer

how does fluoroscopy work

uses x-rays and a fluorescent screen to obtain real-time images

what can be viewed using fluroscopy

blood flow to the heart muscle as well as through blood vessels and organs

how can fluoroscopy be used during cardiac angioplasty

to guide a catheter with the use of a contrast agent

how can x-rays be used as a prognostic tool

by providing visual information about the extent and progression of a disease or healing process

what are some limitations of x-rays

not always enough to definitively predict prognosis on its own and come with radiation risks especially for frequent scans

how can x-rays be used as a cancer therapeutic

can destroy cancerous cells and tumors by damagin DNA

what is it called when x-rays are used to treat cancer

radiation therapy or radiotherapy

true or false: radiation dose used for treating cancer is much lower than radiation dose for diagnostic imaging

false

radioactive can cure many cancers if what

they are localized to one area of the body

primary treatment radiation can only treat what cancers

cancer in an early stage or that are very sensitive to radiation

what cancers are sensitive to radiation

lymphoma, myeloma, and seminoma

what is lymphoma

white blood cell cancer

what is myeloma

plasma cell cancer

what is seminoma

germ cell cancer or testicular cancer

what cancers are resistant to radiation

renal cell, melanoma, thyroid and colorectal cancer

what is preferred treatment radiation

when radiation treatment may be preferred over surgery for certain types of cancers or for certain patients

in what circumstances is radiation therapy preferred

when tumors are in a sensitive area, organ function wants to be preserved or the patient possesses poor overall health or medical conditions that make surgery risky

why may radiotherapy be used as a complementary cancer therapeutic

to prevent tumor reoccurrence

true or false: radiotherapy can be combined with other cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy

true

how can radiotherapy be used as a symptom alleviator

can be used to shrink tumors to treat secondary problems caused by the tumor

what is palliative treatment

medical care that helps those with serious illnesses manage their symptoms and improve quality of life

what is it called when radiotherapy is used to treat pain from cancer that has spread to the bone

radiophamaceutical

what are the two types of radiotherapy

internal and external beam radiotherpy

how is internal beam radiotherapy executed

a source of radiation is put inside the body

what is brachytherapy

when the internal radiation therapy is done with a solid source

what are examples if the solid sources that can be used in brachytherapy

seeds, ribbons, or capsules containing radiation

what is systemic therapy

when internal radiation therapy is done with a liquid source

true or false: systemic radiation therapy is swallowed or injected into the body

true

what is external beam radiation

comes from a machine that aims radiation at the patient’s cancer

true or false: during external beam radiation the machine touches the patient and moves around to send radiation to particular parts of the body

false

what does it mean for external beam radiation to be a local treatment

radiation will only be put to the are where you have cancer, not the whole body

what are the uses of radiotherapy outside of oncology

trigeminal neuralgia, acoustic neromas, severe thyroid eye disease, and prevention of keloid scar growth

what is trigeminal neuralgia

severe facial pain

what is acoustic neuromas

tumor on the nerves of the inner ear

what is severe thyroid eye disease

eye tissue inflammation

what is a keloid scar growth

raised scars that grow outside the wound

why is the use of radiation in non-malignant conditions limited

due to the risk of radiation-induced cancers

what is regenerative medicine

a field that uses biological engineering and cell-based approaches to repair and replace damaged tissues and organs

how are x-rays used in regenerative medicine

they are indispensable for characterizing damaged tissue and for measuring safety and efficacy of novel therapies

what are the four ways that x-rays are used in regenerative medicine

visualizing tissue damage, tracking cell transplantation, monitoring treatment efficacy, guidance during procedures

how do x-rays help with visualizing tissue damage in regenerative medicine

by providing detailed images of fractures, joint damage and degeneration, and other tissue damage to determine if regenerative therapies are needed

how do x-rays assist in tracking cell transplantation in regenerative medicine

by incorporating contrast agents into transplanted cells, x-rays are able to monitor where cells are migrating and how they integrate into host tissue

how do x-rays help to monitor treatment efficacy in regenerative medicine

when x-rays are performed following a regenerative procedure, clinicians can assess if the treatment is achieving its intended goal of tissue repair or regeneration

how do x-rays help guide during regenerative procedures

fluoroscopy can be used to guide the precise placement of stem cells or other therapeutic agents during minimally invasive procedures

what is tomosynthesis

the use of multiple images to creae 3D, high resolution real-time images of organs

is x-ray tomosynthesis or CT-based approaches more expensive

CT-based approaches are more expensive

T/F; x-ray tomosynthesis uses high doses of radiation

false