What type of radiation is commonly associated with medical treatments like cancer therapy?

High-energy radiation, such as X-rays and gamma rays, is commonly used in medical treatments for cancer therapy due to its ability to penetrate tissues and damage the DNA within cancer cells, leading to cell death. This type of radiation is essential in targeting tumors while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

In cancer treatment, the high-energy photons from X-rays and gamma rays are effective because they can disrupt the cellular structure of malignant cells, which are often rapidly dividing and thus more susceptible to radiation damage. This therapeutic approach is known as radiation therapy and is designed to maximize the dose to cancerous tissues while reducing exposure to normal tissues, which is crucial for patient safety and treatment efficacy.

Other types of radiation, such as low-energy radiation and infrared radiation, either do not penetrate tissue effectively or do not have the necessary energy levels to cause meaningful biological damage to tumors. Similarly, alpha radiation has limited utility in external beam therapies due to its inability to penetrate deeply into biological tissues; it is more commonly used in targeted treatments for certain types of cancer, where it can be delivered directly to cancerous tissues.