The isotope of which one among the following elements is used in the treatment of cancer ?
Uranium
Cobalt
Iodine
Fluorine
Answer is Wrong!
Answer is Right!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2024
Several radioactive isotopes are used in the treatment of cancer, primarily in radiotherapy. Cobalt-60 is a widely used radioisotope that emits gamma rays, which are used in external beam radiotherapy machines (sometimes called “cobalt therapy”). Iodine-131 is used for internal radiotherapy, specifically in the treatment of thyroid cancer because the thyroid gland preferentially absorbs iodine. Uranium is used in nuclear power and weapons, not typically for direct cancer treatment. Fluorine-18 is a positron-emitting isotope used as a tracer in PET scans (Positron Emission Tomography), which is a diagnostic imaging technique, not a treatment. While Iodine-131 is used, Cobalt-60 is perhaps the most general and well-known example of a radioisotope used in radiotherapy for a wide range of cancers. Therefore, Cobalt is a correct answer.
Radioisotopes of certain elements are used in cancer treatment, particularly radiotherapy, to target and destroy cancer cells using emitted radiation. Cobalt-60 is a common example for external radiotherapy.