Electric and Magnetic Fields
in Medicine

Electromagnetic radiation in many forms is used in the modern diagnosis and treatment of cancer. It includes:

• Gamma rays and X-rays in imaging and treatment
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Laser light in the destruction of cancers
• Infra-red heat patterns associated with cancer

Diagnostic scanners, for example using CT and MRO, are essential in early detection, assessment and monitoring. More are needed in Scotland, particularly in view of the increasing numbers of cancer patients.

Radiotherapy plays a major role in the local treatment of cancer. In conjunction with surgery, it is the curative treatment for at least 40% of patients with cancer. It may also relieve distressing symptoms, so improving the quality of patients' lives.

Over 10,000 patients per year are treated by radiotherapy in Scotland. The number of patients requiring this therapy is rising.

There are promising technological advances in these applications which will significantly benefit many patients by extending performance and improving accessibility. In Scotland we have excellent teams of researchers in these fields in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews, but with relatively little funding to support their work.