radiotherapeutics
Radiotherapeutics, also known as radiopharmaceutical therapy, encompasses medical strategies that use radioactive substances to treat disease. Therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals deliver cytotoxic ionizing radiation to diseased tissues, most commonly cancer, with the aim of maximizing tumor dose while limiting exposure to normal tissues. They can be systemic, using radiopharmaceuticals that distribute through the body and accumulate in specific organs or tumors, or targeted, employing delivery vehicles such as antibodies, peptides, or small molecules that recognize tumor-associated receptors or antigens.
Common mechanisms include beta or alpha particle emission, delivering DNA damage and cell death within the
Delivery requires specialized facilities, shielding, and regulatory oversight; many agents are administered on an outpatient basis