Which medical treatment utilizes radioisotopes to target and kill cancer cells?

The treatment that utilizes radioisotopes to target and kill cancer cells is known as radiotherapy. This method employs high-energy radiation, often generated by radioactive sources, to destroy cancerous cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. The radioisotopes specifically target the DNA of cancer cells, leading to their destruction and preventing them from proliferating.

Radiation therapy is indeed often used interchangeably with radiotherapy; however, it is generally more accurate to refer to the specific use of radioisotopes in the context of radiotherapy. Chemotherapy, on the other hand, involves the use of drugs to kill cancer cells or stop them from dividing, and immunotherapy uses the body's immune system to combat cancer. These treatments work through different mechanisms and do not involve the use of radioisotopes in the same way that radiotherapy does.