Scenario While Radioactive Isotopes Are Used in Medicine to Identify Tumors

question 21

Multiple Choice

Scenario
While radioactive isotopes are used in medicine to identify tumors and other diseases, they can also be used to treat diseases such as cancer. One method to treat cancerous tumors is to expose them to radiation which can kill the cancerous cells and the tumor. In 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new cancer treatment based on the radioactive isotope radium-223; this isotope has a half-life of 11.4 days. The radioactive drug, known as Xofigo®, is injected into the patient's bloodstream and travels to certain regions of the body. Because it emits high-energy radiation over short distances, it can kill cancerous cells in the sites where it localizes.
After the drug was injected into a person, the following data were collected regarding the amount of radiation measured in different organs in the person's body.

-Which of the following would be the best experiment to determine whether this drug is an effective treatment option for cancer patients?

• A)Give the drug to a single cancer patient and ask him how he feels several months later.
• B)Give the drug to a group of mice that have artificially induced tumors and measure whether their tumors are destroyed.
• C)Give the drug to a group of cancer patients and measure whether their tumors are destroyed.
• D)Give the drug to a single cancer patient and measure whether his tumor is destroyed.

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Definitions:

Pia Mater

The delicate innermost layer of the meninges, the membranes that envelop the brain and spinal cord, providing a protective covering.

Gray Matter

Regions in the brain and spinal cord composed primarily of neuronal cell bodies, dendrites, and glia, playing a key role in processing and regulating neural signals.

Cerebrum

The largest part of the brain, encompassing the cerebral hemispheres, responsible for complex cognitive functions, including learning, memory, and voluntary movement.

BioPac

A brand known for developing biophysical research and education equipment, typically used for measuring physiological signals.