radium-226

Radium-226 is a naturally occurring radioactive isotope with a half-life of approximately 1,600 years, historically significant as the primary agent used in early brachytherapy (Curie therapy). Discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie, it was widely employed in the early to mid-20th century for the treatment of various malignancies, including cervical, prostate, and skin cancers. The isotope decays primarily via alpha emission to radon-222, while also emitting significant gamma radiation. In clinical practice, it was typically encapsulated in "radium needles" or tubes and placed in or near tumor tissue to induce localized DNA damage and cell death through ionizing radiation. Due to its extreme longevity, the hazards associated with its gaseous decay product (radon), and the high energy of its gamma emissions which posed shielding challenges, radium-226 has been almost entirely superseded in modern oncology by safer isotopes such as iridium-192, cesium-137, and the bone-seeking alpha-emitter radium-223.

Other names

226RaRadium-226 isotopeRadium226 isotopeRadium 226 isotope