ON RADIATION CANCER

Abstract

The ten cases which had received roentgen therapy for benign diseases, such as chronic dermatitis, tuberculosis of the cervical nodes and others, were diagnosed as radiation-cancer during the recent five years.
Five of them were found to be the cancer of the pharynx or hypopharynx, two being the cancer of the thyroid gland, one being the fibrosarcoma of the upper lip and one was duplicated cancer in the thyroid and larynx. The last case was a rarelycase of being caused by extravasated and retentio-ned thorotrast in the neck.
All these cancers developed in the area where was primarily irradiated for the treatment of ben-ign disease.
The latent period was from 13 to 32 years withe the average of 25 years.
In regard to pathological findings, six were well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma in the pharynx, hypopharynx and larynx and three were papillary and follicular adenocarcinoma in the thyroid gland.
Three were treated with radiation therapy only, five were operated upon and one case was treated with combined radiological and surgical therapy.
Of ten cases, two had the local recurrence.
The radiation cancer is one of the typical iat-rogenic diseases. The author cannot help reflecting with concern about the miserable facet of the pro-sperous modern medicine.