Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-08-12
New Cancer Treatments
With Elements Discussed
Atomic Energy Commission Report
Tells of Radiation Experiments

Atomic Energy Commission Report
Tells of Radiation Experiments
By Thomas r. Henry
New treatment Of cancer are held out
as one Of the major hopes with the abundant
production of radioactive forms Of many
elements in the great uranium ovens Of the
Atomic Energy Commission.
Progress, however. necessarily is slow.
Hopeful leads have been developed. accord
ing to the Commissions semiannual report
to Congress- but every step must be tested
with long series Of animal experiments
before human applications can be tried.
Disappointment are almost certain to be
more frequent than successes.
Major experimental work is proceeding
along three lines. First is the use Of radio
active cobalt to replace radium. About two
years ago it was found that one Of the
exploding isotopes OF this silvery, highly
ductile metal-given originally the German
name for limp" because Of its exasperating.
unpredictable behavior in the laboratory
gave out about the same sort Of radiation,
although weaker and considerably less In
amount as radium.
Expensive and Dangerous.
Radium was the most expensive substance
on earth. 1t was difficult to handle, espe-
cially in any type Of internal cancer, because
it was nonductile. The only way Of intro
ducing it inside the body in close proximity
to the cancer cell was as "Seed." q tiny
vial filled with the element. Once it got
loose in the system it was extremely poison
GUS. Its radiation continued essentially for
ever It's half -life-the time within which
half of any given number Of radium atoms
Gil
On the surface, at least, cobalt seemed
to have some great advantages It's price.
compared to that of radium was tnconse-
quential The radioactive form could bs
produced in the atomic ovens in any quantt-
ties desired. It was very ductile and could
be drawn into any desired shape to 1T any
conformation of cells. The standard form
of preparing it is In spools of fine wire from
which a surgeon can nip on pieces ana
shape as he pleases Relatively, cobalt Is
not very poisonous 1t has a half-life Of
only five years. It is rapidly excreted by
the body. It Is highly magnetic, 50 that 1t
can be handled by surgeons and hospital
personnel at some distance. This eliminates
the danger of radiation burns.
Essentially this pleasing picture still holds
true, the commission scientists announce,
and probably represents the greatest prog.
ress toward the application of radio
isotopes to cancer. 1t hardly can be con-
sidered a magic cure, however and a great
deal of spade work remains before there can
be any general application.
The radiation is definitely weaker than
that of radium. Cobalt loses its strength
quite rapidly. A hospital must be equipped
with all the facilities for handling radium
before the new isotope can be used with
safety. It still is q long way from the
family doctors Office.
Human Cases Treated.
Major research is being carried out at
Ohio State University and at the radiation
laboratory OF the University Of California.
At the former institution, several human
cases have been treated and the results
have been quite encouraging. About Is
cases, including five fairly prevalent types
hcient doses were given, it was found, :
tumors were destroyed. In other cases.
where the areas involved were too large,
growth was temporarily arrested.
5. But, says the report, "evaluation Of re.
suits will require further 1arge-scale work
and some years of time."8'o NC -
At the radiation laboratory, work has
been carried out with mice. 1t was found
that in cases of cancer Of the breast In mice
the liver took up from the diet twice the
normal amount of cobalt and that this even.
tually appeared in the tumor cells.
A basic constituent Of every cell, either
normal or cancerouS, Is nucelic acid, high.
~ complex material which is made up
of simpler compounds. At Memorial Hos
pital. New York, these simpler compounds
are being labelled with exploding carbon.
heavy water and heavy nitrogen and the
different degrees in which they enter the
nucleic acid complex Of various cells studied.
By-Product Of Work.
As q by-product of this work one arttfi.
cial compound was prepared which seems
invariably fatal blood disease, Ieukemia, in
MICE It's effects on humans have not been
fully explored, but it generally is consid"
cred as not a cure for any form OF cancer.
Several related compounds have been pre-"
pared which appear to have controlling.
but not curative effect, on some animal
cancers.
No tissue, cancerous or normal. can grow
without using the food materials known %
proteins the building stones" In cancer
growth, which is much more rapid than
normal, more of these stones" are re.
Quired.
Proteins in the diet are broken down into
their constituent materials. amino acids. and
then rebuilt. Both tearing down and build.
ing up are accomplished by means Of body
chemicals known as engines. A great deal
is known about the engines concerned In
the tearing down processes, but very little
about those used in rebuilding. major
line of the research with tagged atoms is to
learn more about these chemicals.
Questions and Answers
tact ss'ssr saa st. Z:
Bureau, 316 I Street Me- WaShington q d. G.
Please .nclose 8 cents for return postage. q
BY THE HASKIN SERVICE
@. Why do some flowers have disagree.