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Cobalt Treatment for Lung Cancer

Radiation therapy for treating cancer uses various radioactive isotopes of elements, such as iodine, Strontium, and cobalt, to produce the gamma rays that break down tumors. Cobalt was the first isotope used for radiation therapy outside of radium, which had been the only isotope used for medical therapy since the early 1900s. The isotope has proved to be very effective at treating cancer, but due to its physical properties and side effects, it is slowly being phased out for newer technology.

  1. Function

    • A radioactive isotope of cobalt (specifically, the isotope cobalt-60) is sometimes used in radiation therapy for cancer treatments. A cobalt machine directs high-energy gamma rays of the cobalt at tumors within the human body. The cobalt treatment in radiation therapy has been found to be more effective in shrinking tumors and destroying cancer cells in the lungs than other isotopes.

    History

    • The first cobalt radiation therapy treatment was performed in 1958 in Hungary at the National Institute of Oncology. The cobalt isotope was found to be more effective and accurate in treating tumors than the X-ray radiation therapy used at that time. For the next 30 years, cobalt radiation therapy was the most advanced radiation therapy until the development of high-energy linear accelerators.

    Benefits

    • Cobalt radiotherapy is often used to shrink a tumor that will later be surgically removed, relieve symptoms from the disease or destroy cancer cells from an inoperable tumor.

    Risks

    • Unfortunately, the cobalt isotope often produces a fine dust during treatment, which causes problems with radiation protection. As a result, patients and radiation therapists are not as safe from the radiation ions emitted from the machine, even if both are wearing proper shielding attire.

    Potential

    • Cobalt-60 has a short half-life, so the isotope has to be replaced often in order to maintain proper levels of radiation activity. This fact and the isotope's habit of producing dust are a few of the reasons why high-energy linear accelerators are replacing cobalt machines in radiation therapy. Most likely, cobalt therapy will not be used in radiation therapy for any cancer treatment in the future.

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