"But the microwaves are not what is used in the therapy treatments, right?"

Of course not - or you would be cooked like a hot dog.

We had an instance where an institutions nuclear physicist, calibrating the machine, deliberately defeated the high dose rate interlock (which was interlocking because the target was burned out). The patients neck was subsequently "cooked" by microwaves and he died shortly thereafter. He complained that he could actually feel the heat... This is not an urban legend.

"Particles" are a tricky concept too. They are present in Alpha radiation which can be blocked by a Kleenex. There are no particles in ionizng or gamma radiation per say - they are photons within the invisible light spectrum.

"Charged particles" refer to Proton Beam Therapy, or PBT, which I will not cover here.

Markus,
the amount of x-rays is determined by the voltage, relatively low voltages can generate x-rays. CRT TV's typically have anywhere from 10-50Kv and thats why the use leaded glass in the tube face. They are almost always accelerated by high voltage DC.

For those DIY physics freaks - here is an x-ray machine you can build at home! http://www.dangerouslaboratories.org/xray1.html

Please note that OCF does not condone building your own x-ray machine and to do so is at your own peril and for entertainment purposes only. State, Federal and Local regulations may apply;-)

I never wear red...