Seeing Patients From the Inside Out

Learn how medical imaging and radiation therapy allow us to see inside the human body and treat or diagnose illnesses.

What Is Radiologic Technology?

Radiologic technology is the health care field that includes medical imaging exams and radiation therapy treatments.

The people who perform these procedures study anatomy, patient positioning, examination techniques, equipment protocols, radiation safety, radiation protection and basic patient care to help keep you safe and obtain high-quality images.

X-ray of a skull

Image © ASRT

What Are Medical Imaging Exams?

Medical imaging exams allow health care professionals to look inside the human body to detect injury, diagnose disease or evaluate anatomical structures. Radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance, interventional radiography, sonography and nuclear medicine are a few examples of medical imaging techniques.

Patient in CT scanner

Image © ASRT

What Is Radiation Therapy?

During radiation therapy procedures, targeted doses of radiation are administered to a specific area of a patient’s body to treat cancer or other diseases. The radiation can help kill cancer cells or slow their growth and can help reduce pain for patients whose cancer is advanced.

Patient wearing an immobilization mask

Image © ASRT

The typical weight of a CT scanner is 2.2 tons. Four of them combined equals the weight of an African elephant.

Elephant image by Tacojim / © iStock

Four CT scanners combined equals the weight of an African elephant

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About Radcademy

Radcademy is the place to learn all about medical imaging and radiation therapy – how it works, what it’s used for and who performs the exams.

Contact

American Society of Radiologic Technologists
15000 Central Ave. SE
Albuquerque, NM 87123-3909

800-444-2778 | asrt.org | [email protected]