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Fundamentals of Natural and Artificial Radioactivity and Interaction of Ionizing Radiations with Matter

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Nuclear Medicine Textbook

Abstract

The X-ray discovery was made by Wilhelm Röentgen on Christmas Eve 1895, and the official announcement was made on December 28, 1895. The use of X-rays for medical purposes spread out rapidly: in Europe many hospitals used immediately X-rays for the diagnosis of traumas and fractures and for locating bullets inside soldiers injured in the First World War. X-rays were used in absence of knowledge of the effects of ionizing radiation and their interaction with living matter. Nevertheless, the idea that they could be exploited to treat tumors became immediately practical: since January 1896 (within 1 month after the announcement of the discovery), a Chicago electrician, Emil Grubbe, started using X-rays to radiate a woman with relapsing breast cancer, becoming the first radiotherapist in history.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics “E. Fermi”, University of Pisa and National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), Pisa, Italy

    Alberto Del Guerra

  2. CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Pisa, Italy

    Daniele Panetta

Authors
  1. Alberto Del Guerra
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  2. Daniele Panetta
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alberto Del Guerra .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Regional Center of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Translational Research and Advanced Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Duccio Volterrani

  2. Regional Center of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Translational Research and Advanced Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Paola Anna Erba

  3. Hosp. Sant Pau, Nuclear Medicine Department, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Ignasi Carrió

  4. Molecular Imaging and Therapy Department, Cornell University Weill, New York, NY, USA

    H. William Strauss

  5. Regional Center of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Translational Research and Advanced Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Giuliano Mariani

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Del Guerra, A., Panetta, D. (2019). Fundamentals of Natural and Artificial Radioactivity and Interaction of Ionizing Radiations with Matter. In: Volterrani, D., Erba, P.A., Carrió, I., Strauss, H.W., Mariani, G. (eds) Nuclear Medicine Textbook. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95564-3_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95564-3_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-95563-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-95564-3

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