Multiple choice

The radioactive nuclide used in TAT is:

  1. strontium-89

  2. iridium-192

  3. lead-212

  4. technetium-99

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

A new field is Targeted Alpha Therapy (TAT) or alpha radioimmunotherapy, especially for the control of dispersed cancers. The short range of very energetic alpha emissions in tissue means that a large fraction of that radiative energy goes into the targeted cancer cells, once a carrier such as a monoclonal antibody has taken the alpha-emitting radionuclide to exactly the right place. TAT using lead-212 is said to show promise for treating pancreatic, ovarian and melanoma cancers.