Radiation Radiomodifiers and Human Health

Radiations are a two edged sword they can cure cancer as well as produce cancer. Roentgens historic discovery of X rays 100 years ago introduced a new tool to the medical field with potential for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications. But the early applications of X rays in medicine in the beginning of this century also revealed their damaging effects on healthy tissues. During our march forward through the century gathering more information on radiations and their interaction and expanding the area of our knowledge we have become more and more dependent on radiations and radioactive elements for our life and activities ranging from energy production to molecular biology. Radiotherapy is the most widely used non surgical methods in the treatment of cancers. But clinical experience shows that radiations are not always able to completely cure the tumors and therefore methods to enhance the tumoricidal effects of radiation are being studied. On the other side nuclear accidents and atmospheric releases of radiations and radioactive materials have increased the risk of genetic effects carcin genesis and embryonic malformations. Hence the current research gives great emphasis to radiation risk assessment. This book presents some of the current research in the above fields conducted in different laboratories which should give an insight into the contemporary problems occupying the radiation scientists in the basic and applied fields. (jacket) 246 pp.…