Abstract
The uses of radiation revolutionized medicine when experimentation on its potential applications begun. X-Ray technology, discovered by Wilhem Roentgen, is currently used as a common tool for diagnostics; Henri Becquerel, Marie Curie and Pierre Curie dedicated themselves to further investigations in the field, discovering additional radioactive materials (polonium and radium); radiation therapy is a popular treatment for cancer. This paper analyzes the historical background behind these two applications of radiation in the medical field. Moreover, the different types of radiotherapy are described (external-beam radiation therapy, internal radiation therapy). The concept of radiation homeostasis, which is the notion that low-dose ...
