Radiation Therapy (Research Paper Sample)

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Title: Radiation Therapy
Sonography
Sonography refers to the use of high frequencies of sound to generate images of internal body organs and structures. To generate these images, a sound with a very high frequency is produced by an instrument called a probe or a transducer, and the sound is directed towards the body part to be imaged. This sound then travels through the body and creates ‘echoes’ every time it comes across a barrier in its path. The ‘bouncing’ of this sound through the echoes then provides a framework of the internal structure of the part to be imaged, using the time frames of the echoes to generate the image. This image is a direct two-dimensional representation of the internal body organ or part being imaged through the use of sonography. In this way, this imaging modality is capable of presenting a real-time two-dimensional image of internal body structures and organs as they are.
In the matter of radiation therapy, sonography is widely used as a form of issuing treatment. In the case of cancers, the development of tumors and cysts is inevitable, and the tumors can be either malignant or benign. However, sonography can be used to carry out radiation therapy through the application of ultrasound to bring heat to the body. The use of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) or Focused Ultrasound Surgery (FUS) in radiation therapy for cancer treatment is common. In these methods, the ultrasound is used to generate highly localized heating to treat cysts, as well as benign or malignant tumors. The ultrasound used has lower frequencies than those used in other sonographic applications but significantly higher energies. This treatment method is hinged on the ability of sonography to image the internal body structure, and use these images to provide radiation therapy.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
This is a radiology technique that employs the use of radio waves, magnetism and a highly specialized computer system to clear and distinct images of internal body structures. This modality makes use of an MRI scanner, which is essentially a tube encompassed by a large and circular magnet. Once a patient is placed on a bed inside the magnet, the strong magnetic effect of the scanner aligns the hydrogen atom protons in the body that are then exposed to radio waves. The protons in the body are spinned and produce a faint signal that is then detected by the receiver in the MRI scanner. The processing of this information allows the computer to produce a clear image of the structures. In cases where high levels of clarit...