Renewed interest in the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who helped develop an atomic bomb during World War II, has sparked many questions about nuclear radiation. One such question concerns the difference between nuclear radiation and medical radiation.
Though similar in some respects, the radiation released from an atomic bomb is very different from the radiation released from radiation therapy equipment. While nuclear fallout causes biological and environmental disasters, radiation therapy treats cancer and saves lives.
In this blog, we offer a closer look at radiation as well as the myths and misconceptions surrounding radiation therapy.