Principles
Radiation therapy is used to kill cancer cells; however, normal cells are also damaged in the process. Currently, therapeutic doses of radiation can be targeted to tumors with great accuracy using linear accelerators (see radiation oncology); however, the normal liver tissue is very sensitive to external beam radiotherapy. Fortunately, malignancies (including primary and metastatic liver cancers) are often hypervascular; tumor blood supplies are often increased compared to those of normal tissue. Furthermore, the liver has a dual blood supply, receiving blood from both the hepatic artery and the portal vein. Hepatic malignancies derive most of their blood supply from the hepatic artery; whereas the normal liver derives most of its blood supply from the portal vein. Therefore, delivery of radioembolic particles through the branch of the hepatic artery supplying a tumor will preferentially lead to deposition of the particles in the tumor, while sparing normal liver from harmful side effects.
Read more about this topic: Selective Internal Radiation Therapy
Famous quotes containing the word principles:
“...at this stage in the advancement of women the best policy for them is not to talk much about the abstract principles of women’s rights but to do good work in any job they get, better work if possible than their male colleagues.”
—Virginia Crocheron Gildersleeve (1877–1965)
“Our national determination to keep free of foreign wars and foreign entanglements cannot prevent us from feeling deep concern when ideals and principles that we have cherished are challenged.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)
“The principles which men give to themselves end by overwhelming their noblest intentions.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)