New measurements to guide radiation therapy

(American Institute of Physics) When ionizing radiation passes through living tissue, it interacts with molecules present in the cells, stripping away electrons and producing charged species known as ions. The electrons produced by this process, known as secondary electrons, can themselves go on to wreak further havoc, causing even more dramatic changes. This week in The Journal of Chemical Physics, investigators report studies of the impact of secondary electrons on a model of DNA.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news