Most people interpret radiation as a bad thing—but it isn’t always. In fact, radiation is a very normal phenomenon. For now, let’s just say that radiation is when an object produces energy. When a ...

Atomic weapons and nuclear accidents like those at Chernobyl and Fukushima have made sure we all know that nuclear radiation can kill. But how exactly does the radiation affect our bodies? And why ...

Radiation has been a staple of breast cancer treatment for decades, but a new study is casting doubt on whether it is ...

Lung cancer radiation therapy uses powerful, high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. Radiation may come from outside the body (external) or from radioactive materials placed ...

Electromagnetic radiation refers to energy that travels in waves through space at the speed of light. Electromagnetic radiation can be either ionizing or non-ionizing radiation depending on its ...

Doctors may use radiation therapy to treat benign tumors. Radiation can shrink and eliminate benign growths without doctors having to perform surgery. Benign tumors are noncancerous growths that can ...

Radiation therapy is the term for treatment types that use radiation to destroy or shrink cancer cells and tumors. The two main types of radiation therapy for treating cancer are external beam ...

While it tends to happen about 4 to 12 weeks after radiation treatment, it can develop as early as 1 week after treatment. In other cases, it develops very slowly over the course of several months.

There's been concern about radiation after damage to Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant in March and now a hot spot has been detected in Tokyo. But how do we think of radiation in ordinary terms, asks ...