Jordan McCall

October 25, 2013

Physical Science
MWF 11:30-12:35
Radioactivity: The Story Behind Cancer
With an increasing number of cancer patients in the world today, something has to
attribute to the escalation. Could the increase be due to events dealing with man-made
catastrophes, i.e. the Chernobyl nuclear accident? Could a microwave really be a cancer monster
residing in every families house? Could Gamma really be more than just a sorority term?
Overall, radioactivity is the high-energy particles and electromagnetic radiation emitted by a
radioactive substance (Hewitt G-9). On a daily basis we are made vulnerable to radiations dark
presence. Its presence is not seen, heard, or felt, but studys show it can have a lasting impact on
an individuals health. Ultimately, cancer is possible due to the amount of radiation a person is
exposed to or receives. Scientists have shown that overtime it can lead to various forms or
complications, such as: lung cancer, skin cancer, thyroid cancer, multiple myeloma, breast
cancer, and stomach cancer.
Despite popular belief, not all forms of radiation leads to cancer. Ironically, there is even
Radiation Therapy, which has the goal of eliminating certain cancers. Despite its positivity in
helping to eliminate cancer, it still uses one the deadly forms: Ionizing Radiation. Ionizing
Radiation can be defined as, Radioactive materials that decay spontaneously produce ionizing
radiation, which has sufficient energy to strip away electrons from atoms (creating two charged
ions) or to break some chemical bonds...the body attempts to repair the damage, but sometimes
the damage is of a nature that cannot be repaired or it is too severe or widespread to be repaired.

Also mistakes made in the natural repair process can lead to cancerous cells (WHO). Simply
stated, highly energized radioactive waves will get into the cells DNA and chemically change
how they work. Therefore, ionization radiation can change a cells DNA because the cells built
[in] instructions about how to live and grow are jumbled around (Cancerresearch). Large
exposure to this type of radio-activeness can damage the internal organs and tissues of the body,
leaving them interwoven with cancer causing agents. Ironically, there is even a possibility of
the appearance of a second round of cancer due to Radiation Therapy.
Commonly, there are three types of ionization radiation that a person can be exposed to,
they are: Natural Background Radiation, Medical Radiation, and Non-Medical Radiation.
Overall, the most common forms of ionizing radiation are alpha and beta particles, or gamma
and X-rays (Epa.gov). Without our knowledge, we are constantly being exposed to radiation
due to its presence in the environment. It is naturally in the background of our lives by residing
in soil, rocks, and gases. It occupies our water and even some plant-based foods due to there
growth in soil. Cosmic rays, from the solar system, emit radiation through the sun, stars, and
other aspects of outer space. This happens when radioactive particles, coming from outer space,
are aimed towards the earths surface. The higher the altitude, the more someone is exposed to
radioactive waves. For example, airplanes are a common place for high exposure since they sit
well above the earths surface and climb way above sea level. Ironically, there are even small
amounts of radiation in our own bodies. The largest form of background radiation deals with
radon. Radon, is an odorless, colorless gas that is formed from the breakdown of radioactive
elements in the ground (Cancer). Ionizing Radiation can also be used for medical reasons,
which was briefly discussed previously. It can be used as a way to diagnosis and treat various
illnesses. Image Tests expose a patient to minimal amounts of radiation in order to give a clear

picture of a possible internal problem. Examples of various image tests are: X-rays, CT scans,
and nuclear medicine tests. Since the exposure to radiation is minor in these image tests, they are
used in a positive way to gage and diagnosis a major problem, such as cancer or other
complications. As discussed before, Radiation Therapy can be used successfully to cure certain
cancers. This is done in a process where, high doses of ionizing radiation...are directed at the
cancer, resulting in the death of the cancer cells. However, this can lead to DNA mutations in
other cells that survive the radiation, which may eventually lead to the development of a second
cancer (Cancer). Therefore, Radiation Therapy can be a bittersweet method in the healing of
cancer. Lastly, man-made radiation can be found in numerous areas and products, such as nuclear
tests and facilities. A variety of consumer products also contain radiation, such as smoke
detectors and tobacco. Radiation is all around, we just fail to be recognize it.
There are several kinds of radioactive waves that are Non-Ionizing, and therefore noncancerous. Based off of scientific research, these waves do not lead to cancer, to a certain extent.
Non-Ionizing rays are ultraviolet rays from the sun, electromagnetic fields, radio waves, and
radiation via household electrical appliances, heaters, mobile phones, and computers. One
acceptation is that overexposure to ultraviolet rays can be the cause of skin cancer. There has also
been various debates between scientists on whether or not microwaves waves cause cancers. The
majority of scientists believe that they do not give off of enough energy to damage. Also, humans
do not use microwaves for a prolonged period of time, limiting their overall exposure. There are
also debates dealing with radiation in the form of power lines, electrical devices, cell phones, and
radars. Most scientists decide that each of these variables do not have strong radioactive waves in
order to cause severe damage.

There are a series of symptoms that arise when radiation poisoning occurs. Overall,
cancer is considered the long-term affect of ionization radiation. If extreme exposure occurs
there are also more immediate symptoms that occur. The government has a clear and concise
table that measures out the effects due to the amount of exposure and the time to onset without
treatment. Each effect is cumulative, which means that if an individual has the second symptom,
are also experiencing the first symptom. The amount of exposure is measured in rems, which
can be defined as, A unit for measuring the ability of radiation to harm living tissue (Hewitt G9). First off, if an individual is exposed to five to ten rems, they will have a change in blood
chemistry. An increase in radiation will result in nausea (fifty rems), fatigue (fifty-five rems), and
vomiting (seventy rems). There is usually only several hours to onset without treatment when
dealing with these symptoms. Next there is hair loss (seventy-five rems), diarrhea (ninety rems),
hemorrhage (one-hundred rems). In those previous symptoms, an individual has two to three
weeks of time to onset without treatment. There is even a possibility of death (starting at fourhundred rems), destruction of intestinal lining (one-thousand rems), and internal bleeding (onethousand rems). There is two months for the time to onset without treatment when these systems
start arising. Lastly, there is damage to the central nervous system (two-thousand rems), loss of
consciousness (two-thousand rems), and death (two-thousand rems). Overall, this chart relies
heavily on the amount of exposure to radioactivity.
Ultimately, the amount of exposure one has to radiation is the main reason why there is a
long-term development of cancer. The radioactive waves to avoid deal with Ionization Radiation.
Ionization Radiation intercepts the cells and change their DNA, resulting in the production of
cancerous agents. One may be unaware of a developing cancer that was caused by radiation (it
may take years to showcase itself), therefore it is important to be aware of the radiation that is

stationed in society. This being said, not all radiation is proven to be harmful to the human body.
Despite popular belief, an individual's cellphone will not eat their cells alive. Therefore, it is also
important to be knowledgeable of the types of radiation waves that surround us. In a society with
growing man-made products and nuclear testing facilities, it is detrimental to have knowledge on
the harm that particular waves have on the human body.

Sources
"Health Effects." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. <http://
www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/health_effects.html>.
Hewitt, Paul G., John Suchocki, and Leslie A. Hewitt. Conceptual Physical Science. Menlo Park,
CA: Addison Wesley Longman, 1999. Print.
"Ionizing Radiation, Health Effects and Protective Measures." WHO. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct.
2013. <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs371/en/>.
Radiation Exposure and Cancer." Radiation Exposure and Cancer. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.
<http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/medicaltreatments/
radiation-exposure-and-cancer>.

"Radiation, Microwaves and Cancer." : Cancer Research UK : CancerHelp UK. N.p., n.d. Web.
27 Oct. 2013. <http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/about-cancer/

cancer-

questions/radiation-microwaves-and-cancer>.
"Second Cancers Caused by Cancer Treatment: Overview." Journey Forward. N.p., n.d. Web. 27
Oct. 2013. <http//:journeyforward.org>.