| |
radium(Ra)
(ra´de-әm)
a chemical element, atomic number 88, atomic weight, 226. Radium is highly radioactive and is found in uranium degradation processes. Radium-226 has a half-life of 1622 years. It and its short-lived decay products emit alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays. One of the decay products, radon-222, is a radioactive gas. In clinical use, radium must be enclosed in a metal container that stops alpha and beta particles and traps radon. Radium is used in radiation therapy for malignant diseases, particularly those that are readily accessible, such as tumors of the uterine cervix, mouth, or tongue.
In the form of needles or pellets, it can be inserted into tumorous tissue (interstitial implantation) and left in place until its rays penetrate and destroy malignant cells. It can also be used in the form of plaques applied
to the diseased tissue.

Copyright 2007. An Elsevier publication. All rights reserved.
Click here for important legal information about Dorland's Medical Dictionary.
|