A radioactive metallic element.
Radioactive metallic element used in radiotherapy.
A radioactive metallic element that emits alpha and gamma rays during its decay into other elements. The gamma radiation is employed in radiotherapy for the treatment of cancer. Because radon, a radioactive gas, is released from radium, the metal must be enclosed in gas-tight containers during use. Radium is stored in lead-lined containers, which give protection from the radiation.
A very radioactive element which used to be used in the treatment of certain cancers but which has been replaced by safer isotopes, such as those of cobalt and caesium.
A metallic element found in very small quantities in uranium ores such as pitchblende; atomic number 88, atomic weight 226, half-life 1622 years. It is radioactive and fluorescent. Radon is produced by the breakdown of radium. The most stable isotope, 226Ra, has been used as a source of radioactivity in medical research and therapy.
An uncommon radioactive metallic element, radium is found naturally solely as compounds within uranium ores. Radium comprises four naturally existing isotopes—radium-226, radium-228, radium-224, and radium-223. While radium-226 was previously employed for tumor treatment, it has been replaced by alternative radioisotopes like cobalt-60.
A highly radioactive metallic element, discovered in 1898 by Pierre and Marie Curie, who isolated it from pitchblende. Radium’s chloride and bromide salts are commonly employed in medical treatment. It continuously emits heat, light, and three distinct types of radiation: gamma rays (similar to X-rays), alpha rays, and beta rays. Radium is used either in platinum needles or platinum plaques (small, flat containers), which are inserted into or positioned over a tumor to eliminate it. Radium also emits radon and has a half-life of 1600 years.