Final answer:
The use of radiotracers involves tagging antibodies with radioactive isotopes to detect and treat cancer, with common applications including visualization of bone cancer activity and treatment of thyroid cancer using radioactive iodine. Radiopharmaceuticals allow targeted radiation therapy by concentrating radiation in tumor tissues while sparing normal tissues.
Step-by-step explanation:
Radiotracers, or radioactive tracers, are a type of radiopharmaceutical used in medical imaging and therapy, particular in the field of oncology. Such substances are designed to focus in on specific cells within the human body, allowing both visualization and targeted treatment of diseases such as cancer. The radioactive isotopes attached to antibodies can be detected with external imaging equipment, highlighting areas of abnormal cellular activity, which often corresponds to tumor sites or hyperactive bone cells, as seen in the example of bone cancer. For instance, thyroid cancer is successfully treated using radioactive iodine because thyroid cells, especially cancerous ones, tend to concentrate iodine. Moreover, the technique of radiopharmaceuticals can be applied by tagging antibodies with radioactive isotopes. After being extracted, cultured, and labeled with the radioisotope, these antibodies are reintroduced into the patient's bloodstream where they selectively target and accumulate in tumor tissues, thereby localizing the radiation to the diseased cells and minimizing exposure to healthy tissues.