Radiation is part of our life. Background radiationRadiation that is always in the environment. The majority of background radiation occurs naturally and a small fraction comes from man-made elements., coming primarily from natural minerals, is around us all the time. Fortunately, there are very few situations where an average person is exposed to uncontrolled sources of radiation above background. Nevertheless, it is wise to be prepared and know what to do if such a situation arises.
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One of the best ways to be prepared is to understand the radiation protection principles of time, distance and shielding. During a radiological emergency (a large release of radioactive material into the environment), we can use these principles to help protect ourselves and our families.
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Time, distance, and shielding actions minimize your exposure to radiation in much the same way as they would to protect you against overexposure to the sun:
radiationEnergy given off as either particles or rays.
in addition to natural background radiation, limiting or minimizing the exposure time reduces the dose from the radiation source.gamma raysA form of ionizing radiation that is made up of weightless packets of energy called photons. Gamma rays can pass completely through the human body; as they pass through, they can cause damage to tissue and DNA.
andx-raysA form of ionizing radiation made up of photons. X-rays are capable of passing completely through the human body. Medical x-rays are the single largest source of man-made radiation exposure.
. This is why certain radioactive materials are stored under water or in concrete or lead-lined rooms, and why dentists place a lead blanket on patients receiving x-rays of their teeth. Therefore, inserting the proper shield between you and a radiation source will greatly reduce or eliminate the dose you receive.In a large scale radiological release, such as a nuclear power plant accident or terrorist incident, the following advice has been tested and proven to provide maximum protection.
If a radiation emergency occurs, you can take actions to protect yourself, your loved ones and your pets: Get Inside, Stay Inside and Stay Tuned. Follow the advice of emergency responders and officials.
In a radiation emergency you may be asked to get inside a building and take shelter for a period of time.
sheltering in placeAn emergency response instruction meaning get inside a building right away. If you can get to a brick or concrete multi-story building or basement within a few minutes, go there.
."Staying inside will reduce your exposure to radiation.
Emergency officials are trained to respond to disaster situations and will provide specific actions to help keep people safe.
View the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's video, 'Where to Go in a Radiation Emergency' below, or visit the CDC Radiation Emergencies website for additional information.
Learn more about protecting yourself from radiation:
If you identify or come in contact with a radioactive source, locate and contact your state radiation control office.
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Summary
Memorial Sloan Kettering experts answer common questions about the safety of adults undergoing radiation treatment for cancer.
Radiation treatment is one of the most common and effective ways to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. At Memorial Sloan Kettering, approximately half of our adult cancer patients undergo radiation therapy as a primary treatment or as part of a broader approach that includes chemotherapy, surgery, or other therapies. For many cancers, radiation therapy may be all that is needed to treat the disease.
There are different ways to deliver radiation treatment. With external-beam radiation therapy, treatment is delivered from a machine outside the body. With internal radiation (brachytherapy), sealed sources of radioactivity are placed near or within the tumor. Less commonly, radiation treatment can also be given using liquid materials in capsules by mouth or infusion through a vein (systemic radiation).
Although radiation treatment has been widely used for decades, there still is confusion and misunderstandings about its safety. We asked MSK clinical physicist Lawrence Dauer and medical physicist Matthew Williamson to tell us about the concerns they hear most frequently from patients and their families ' and the answers and reassurance they provide.
External-beam therapy, the most common type of radiation treatment, does not make a person radioactive in any way. It is applied most often in the form of x-rays by a linear accelerator. The therapy is designed to deliver precise amounts of energy to tumor cells while sparing healthy tissue. The radiation is present only when the linear accelerator is operating. When you receive external-beam radiation, you are unable to contaminate or transfer that radiation to any other person.
When you receive external-beam radiation, you are unable to contaminate or transfer that radiation to any other person.
We have carefully developed methods for calibrating radiation beams to ensure they reach the areas they are intended to target. Even when nearby normal tissues receive small amounts of radiation, it is rare for long-term damage to occur. Our doctors and physicists also know how much radiation healthy tissue can receive without causing significant damage. They use this information to develop a patient-specific treatment. We often use special masks, molds, or casts of body parts to keep you completely still during treatment so that we can aim the radiation beams precisely to the area that needs to be treated.
With brachytherapy, we use a needle or a catheter to insert radioactive material contained within a sealed source such as a seed, pellet, wire, or capsule. As the radioactive material inside the implants decays naturally over time, it emits radiation that deposits energy to treat nearby cancer cells. This radioactivity travels only a certain distance beyond the implant. Within a few weeks or months, the implant no longer gives off any radiation. The implants are specially tested and sealed to ensure that the encapsulated radioactive material doesn't leak, and we place them in such a way that it's highly unlikely they will move. We give people specific precautions to minimize exposure to others from the implanted radioactive material.
Most of our safety concerns are related to being in physical contact with children for extended periods of time because their bodies are undergoing such rapid change and growth. Because we vary the radiation dose in each implant as well as the number of implants we insert based on your particular cancer, we provide you with specific advice about precautions to take when you're in close contact with children.
Prostate seeds are sealed sources. You cannot contaminate another person by being in his or her physical vicinity, during sexual intercourse, or through any other form of intimate contact. Your doctor or a member of the radiation safety staff will discuss any special precautions you should take with sleep arrangements before you leave the hospital. For example, based on such factors as your age and the age of your partner, we may ask that for a short time you avoid embracing your partner from the back in the 'spooning' position through the night.
Radiation Therapy for CancerRadioactive iodine treatment involves swallowing a capsule or liquid form of radioactive iodine that all thyroid cells take up (absorb), destroying them. It's effective because other healthy cells in the body don't usually absorb the radioactive iodine.
For several days following this therapy, radioactive substances can be emitted through body fluids such as saliva, urine, and sweat. We send patients home with detailed instructions on how to care for themselves for the first few days ' from limiting contact with young children and pets to using separate utensils and towels.
Doctors sometimes use small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose disease. This is called nuclear medicine. The radioactive substance is injected into your body, locating specific cells or tissues ' including cancer cells ' and binds to them. The radioactive material will stay in your body for several hours or days, depending on the type that is used. Eventually, the material decays and your body naturally flushes it out through urine, sweat, and other forms of biological elimination. We make sure the specifics are clear to you before the test, and we may also issue an information card explaining your treatment in case you are questioned by someone in airport security, for example. You can learn more about nuclear medicine approaches here.
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