Targeting Cancer: The Evolving Science of Radiation Therapy
  • Author(s): Michael Shiferaw
  • Paper ID: 1708394
  • Page: 648-653
  • Published Date: 12-05-2025
  • Published In: Iconic Research And Engineering Journals
  • Publisher: IRE Journals
  • e-ISSN: 2456-8880
  • Volume/Issue: Volume 8 Issue 11 May-2025
Abstract

In 1896, a Chicago physician named Emil Grubbé suffered severe burns to his hand after experimenting with X rays, an accident that would unexpectedly pave the way for radiation therapy as a cancer treatment. Just a year earlier, Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen had discovered X rays, a breakthrough that transformed medical imaging. However, it was the observation of X rays’ destructive effects on tissue that ignited interest in their potential to fight disease. This review explores the journey of radiation therapy, tracing its evolution from crude experiments in the late 19th century to its role today as a vital tool in modern oncology. Along the way, key milestones are highlighted, and how its effectiveness has grown is assessed. How technological leaps, from the early use of low?energy X rays to advanced precision methods, have broadened the types of cancers treatable and improved patient outcomes is examined.

Citations

IRE Journals:
Michael Shiferaw "Targeting Cancer: The Evolving Science of Radiation Therapy" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 8 Issue 11 2025 Page 648-653

IEEE:
Michael Shiferaw "Targeting Cancer: The Evolving Science of Radiation Therapy" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 8(11)