Medical Utilization of Radiation

More than a hundred years have passed since W. C. Rontgen found X-ray in 1895. During this period, radiation is used for not only diagnosis and treatment of disease but also elucidation of principal of life through research on human and living things. In Japan, cancer is the leading cause of the death of the people, and radiation plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. In this chapter, I will outline the situation of radiation use which is indispensable for research and development of the medical field and medical science which supports it, including diagnosis and treatment of cancer.