Cobalt Radiation Therapy

In 1951 at the Chalk River Nuclear Plant, in Chalk River, Ontario a group of Canadian scientists isolated a source of radiation even stronger than X-rays. It was, and still is, widely used to treat cancer patients. The source of this radiation was the radioactive isotope cobalt-60. The production of this radioactive isotope at the required nuclear activity was carried out in Canada four years before it was repeated in any other country.

During cancer radiation therapy the beam of radiation produced by cobalt-60 is pointed at the targeted position on the patient. The radiation ionizes the cancerous cells, which slow their growth. This allows the healthy cells a chance to repair both themselves and the damage that has been done around them. Canada continues to lead the world in this type of cancer treatment.