Introduction Ionizing radiation had been used in medicine to combat cancer. In the last three decades, nuclear medicine had been extensively used in more than 60 percent of cancer cases (Bhatt 97). Ionizing Radiation is usually employed in the “detection and treatment of disease and evaluation of physiological and pathological behaviors not detected by any other diagnostic procedure (97). About 90 percent of the total radiotherapy conducted used teletherapy/brachytherapy, while 7 percent employed radiopharmaceuticals (97). Definition of ionizing radiation Ionizing radiation occurs as “either electromagnetic rays (such as X-rays and gamma rays) or particles (such as alpha and beta particles). It occurs naturally (e.g. from the radioactive decay of natural radioactive substances such as radon gas and its decay products).” (Health & Safety Executive) Ionizing Radiation or radiation therapy is the treatment choice for every type of solid tumor including cancers of the “brain, breast, cervix, larynx, lung, pancreas, prostate, skin, spine, stomach, uterus, or soft tissue sarcomas.” It may also be used to treat “leukemia and lymphoma (cancers of the blood-forming cells and lymphatic system, respectively).” (National Cancer Institute) Dosage is dependent on the type of cancer. Usage of ionizing radiation Ionizing Radiation attacks cancer cells and shrinks tumors. Although cells in the surrounding areas where the cancer cells and tumors are located are injured, most would eventually recover after the radiation treatment. Radiation therapy may be applied externally or internally. External radiation therapy is usually given to outpatients for the treatment of cancer. Another type of external radiation treatment is referred to as intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) that is given to patients during surgery. Internal radiation therapy involves the implantation of radiation inside the body directly to the tumor site. It requires hospital confinement (National Cancer Institute). Aside from treatment, ionizing radiation helps doctors detect and track the progress of certain diseases. To obtain the information, the patient ingests, inhales, or is injected with small amounts of radionuclides. With special cameras, the conditions of the organs are revealed (National Institute of Health). Essentially, ionizing radiation helps improve the detection and treatment techniques, thus increasing the survival rate of cancer patients. Radionuclides are also used in palliative medicine to reduce pain among cancer patients. Other benefits include the use of radiation in biomedical and clinical research. They are primarily used to determine how genes work. Finally, ionizing radiation is used in PET (positron emission tomography) where radioactive material is injected into the patient to track the metabolism activity and circulation of the brain. This allowed physicians and scientists to locate tumors or sites of epileptic activities (National Institute of Health). In this case, the benefits of ionizing radiation far outweighed the dangers of using the radioactive substance on humans. The cure for cancer has yet to be found and at the moment, the use of ionizing radiation mitigates the worsening of the disease. Ionizing radiation, when used appropriately brings positive effects, especially on cancer patients. Medical practitioners and government regulators must take extra precaution