Sunday, February 20, 2011

Why is radon a treatment for cancer when it causes cancer

Why is radon a treatment for cancer when it causes cancer?
Alright. I'm doing a study on radon but I get stuck. I'm presenting it and I need to know...How does something that causes cancer treat it as well?
Cancer - 5 Answers



Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Nothing "Causes" cancer. And I assume you mean Radiation. They don't usually cure cancer with Radiation, usually with Chemotherapy. And cancer is CURABLE. Not just treatable *unless it's pancreatic.
2 :
Because the cancer is in the blood cells and high doses of radon kill the cancer cells so new cells can then reform
3 :
Radon isn't a treatment for cancer. Radiation therapy is a treatment. It does not use radon. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Here is some info on radiation therapy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/External_beam_radiotherapy
4 :
It's important to remember that cancer is not one disease - it is over 300 different diseases. A substance, like radiation, that can treat one type of cancer can cause a different type of cancer. For example, some chemotherapy drugs used to treat lymphoma can increase the risk of developing leukemia.
5 :
"Inverse" is on the money as usual. Radon gas is a risk factor for cancer - particularly lung cancers. Any type of radioactivity may cause mutations in cellular DNA and lead to cancers. Radiation therapy is a focal treatment to one area. We know that normal cells and cancer cells will be injured and killed by the radiation. Many chemotherapy drugs can cause mutations of DNA and potentially cause cancer. High does of radiation and chemotherapy kills cells - both cancer cells and normal cells. What we count on in cancer treatment is the normal cells recovering from the damage of chemotherapy or radiation while the defective cancer cells will not. It's a close balance in may cases. I used to say that we have to 'half kill' someone to cure a widespread cancer like Lance Armstrong's widespread testicular cancer. People who have had their cancers cured by radiation, chemotherapy, or combinations of the two are more likely to develop secondary cancers later on. But these are the best treatments we have right now. You can't let someone die from a cancer they already have because there is a small risk that your treatment may cause a different cancer years later. There is no perfectly safe treatment in medicine - and certainly not in cancer treatment. Aspirin and penicillin can kill people. Riding in a car is not completely safe. Sunlight may cause cancer. We take our chances each day with many risks.



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