Skip to main content
radiosensitive

radiosensitive

8.4
Easily damaged by radiation, especially cells and tissues
  • adjective
  • /ˌreɪdioʊˈsɛnsɪtɪv/
  • Specialized
translation icon : radiosensible
  • Because the thyroid gland is radiosensitive, it is often protected during radiation therapy to minimize harm.

Examples

  • Therefore, radiotherapy is considered by many to be the treatment of choice for this radiosensitive tumor.

    Academic text (2006)
  • Adenoid cystic carcinoma is a radiosensitive tumor that is well known for its prolonged clinical course and its tendency for delayed distant metastasis.

    Academic text (2003)
  • This is particularly true for children, who are 10 to 20 times more radiosensitive than adults, and are therefore much more susceptible to cancer.

    Blog text (8)
  • There appears to be general agreement that ameloblastomas are radioresistant, although some investigators regard them as radiosensitive.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Although extramedullary plasmacytoma is known to be radiosensitive, most authors recommend a combination of surgery and radiotherapy for nasal cavity lesions.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Conventional external beam radiotherapy lacks the precision to allow the delivery of large single-fraction doses of radiation and simultaneously limits the dose to radiosensitive structures such as the spinal cord.

    Academic text (2006)
  • Batsakis and others have suggested that acinic cell carcinoma is relatively radiosensitive and that external radiation therapy should be considered for locally advanced tumors, late-stage disease, and residual lesions.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Certain cancers, like lymphomas, are categorized as radiosensitive, meaning they respond well to radiation therapy.

  • Children's tissues are more radiosensitive than those of adults, leading to an increased risk of radiation damage.

Surface Forms

radiosensitive positive

Morphology

radiosensitive = sensitive (semi-transparent) = radio + sensitive

Formation is logical in scientific contexts ('radio-' = relating to radiation + 'sensitive'), but the combining form 'radio-' is specialized and may be misinterpreted by general learners as 'radio' (broadcast device).

Etymology

The word radiosensitive is made of radio- (from Latin radius, meaning 'ray', the idea behind radiation) and sensitive (from 'sense', meaning 'easily affected'). So radiosensitive means 'easily affected by rays', which is why we use it for cells or tissues that are damaged by radiation.