answersLogoWhite

0

Cobalt-60 is a radioisotope that is mostly used in the medical field. During the last half of the twentieth century, the use of Cobalt-60 was used widely to kill mutated cells, but modern methods favor X-rays produced from linear accelerators. Its main use was in chemotherapy to kill cancerous cells. Cobalt-60 can be implanted directly on or near mutated cells to help stop the spread of cancer. But mostly, the radiation is given in the form of the 2 gamma rays it produces as external irradiation (sometimes called teletherapy).

The radioactivity of Cobalt-60 is also put to use in sterilizing medical instruments by destroying bacteria and other harmful pathogens.

User Avatar

Wiki User

16y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

What are 2 uses of radioactive isotopes?

Carbon dating and tracking.


A list with explanation of at least 3 medical medical uses of radioactive materials?

The explanation is the effect of ionizing radiation on tissues and materials.Three uses are:- sterilizing of instruments and parapharmaceutic items- diagnostic with radioactive isotopes (scintigraphy)- treatment of cancers with radioactive isotopes


What type of medicine use isotopes?

Some imaging uses radioactive isotopes to see various parts of the body.


What are isotopes considered radioactive?

Not all isotopes are radioactive; the radioactive isotopes are unstable and emit radiations.


How are radioactive isotopes different from isotopes?

Both isotopes and radioactive isotopes are pretty much the same but radioactive isotopes are better because it can be used to make medicine.


Is cobalt cleavage?

What is cobalts uses


Does sodium contain radioactive isotopes?

Sodium has no radioactive isotopes.


Does radioactive isotopes have a stable nuclei?

Radioactive isotopes are not stable.


Does plutonium have isotopes that are all radioactive?

All the uranium isotopes are radioactive.


What happens to all radioactive isotopes?

All radioactive isotopes will disintegrate.


Are all isotopes of francium radioactive?

All isotopes of francium are radioactive.


What can radioactive isotopes be use for?

Radioactive isotopes have many uses:- sources of energy- tracers- treatment of cancers- sources of radiation- components of instruments- nuclear fuels- nuclear bombsand many others