In summary, then, we may say that radioisotopes play an important role
in medicine. For the diagnostician, small harmless quantities of many
isotopes serve as tools to aid him in gaining information about normal
and abnormal life processes. The usefulness of this information depends
upon his ingenuity in devising questions to be answered, apparatus to
measure the results, and explanations for the results.
For therapeutic uses, on the other hand, the important thing to remember
is that radiation damages many kinds of cells, especially while they are
in the process of division (reproduction).[13] Cancer cells are
self-reproducing cells, but do so in an uncontrolled manner. Hence
cancer cells are particularly vulnerable to radiation. This treatment
requires potent sources and correspondingly increases the hazards of
use.
In all cases, the use of these potentially hazardous materials belongs
under the supervision of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission.[14]
Licenses are issued by the Commission after investigation of the
training, ability, and facilities possessed by prospective users of
dangerous quantities. At regular intervals courses are given to train
individuals in the techniques necessary for safe handling, and graduates
of these courses are now located in laboratories all over the country.
The future of this field cannot be predicted with certainty. Research in
hundreds of laboratories is continuing to add to our knowledge, through
new apparatus, new techniques, and new experiments. Necessarily the
number of totally new fields is becoming smaller, but most certainly the
number of cases using procedures already established is bound to
increase. We foresee steady improvement and growth in all uses of
radioisotopes in medicine.