Final answer:
The major difference is that medical therapeutic uses of radiation, such as radiotherapy, involve higher radiation doses compared to diagnostic uses, which aim for minimal exposure necessary for imaging purposes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The major difference in terms of radiation dose between medical diagnostic uses of radiation and medical therapeutic uses is that therapeutic uses involve higher radiation doses.
Diagnostic procedures involve exposing the body to X-rays, gamma rays, or other forms of radiation in amounts that are as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA principle) to capture the necessary medical images without causing significant damage to cells.
In contrast, therapeutic applications like radiotherapy intentionally administer higher doses of radiation to destroy or damage cancerous cells while minimally affecting surrounding healthy tissue.
Radiotherapy leverages the sensitivity of cancer cells to radiation, aiming for a therapeutic ratio that maximizes the destruction of cancer cells while minimizing the impact on normal cells. The approach to radiotherapy is often localized to one region of the body and spread out over time to limit the total dose received by healthy tissues.