Evening star., 1951-07-23
Doctors Put Valuation
On Exploding Atom
A. M. A. Report Issued
To Guide Physieions
By Thomas R. Henry

py InomoS X. HenfY
Exploding atoms in medicine, long
subject to much confusion and contra
diction, have just been officially evalu-
ated for the American Medical Asso-
cations Council on Pharmacy and
Chemistry.
The report by DR.. F. E. Kelsey Of the
University Of Chicago has just been pub
lished for the guidance Of physicians.
At the same time the Atomic Energy
Commission has more than doubled the
number of such "isotopes" available for
distribution here and abroad to compe-
tent workers.
Progress during the last six years has
been substantial. DR.. Kelsey's report
reveals. but far from as revolutionary
as had been predicted and, so far as
medicine is concerned, quite limited in
scope. AS research tools, largely for
work with experimental animals, adj
vances have been more substantial.
S Have Official Standing.
Physicians face one great barrier In
the use of most of the exploding atoms.
This is the fact that the radioactive
isotopes break up too slowly-the range
to several billion years.
The extremely short-lived ones are
useless because they act too quickly to
do any good. The long-lived ones are
quite dangerous because they stay in the
body during the lifetime of the patient,
cannot be eliminated, and cause damage
which cannot be stopped.
Only five, the report reveals have any
official standing. These are phosphorus.
iodine, sodium, carbon and gold. No
mention is made of cadmium as a sub
stitute for radium.
Use OF radioactive phosphorus, accord
ing to the report, now is fairly well
established for a quite limited range of
ailments. When the phosphorus atom
expiodes 1t enitS beta rays, or electrons.
with great velocity. Half of the radio
actlve phosphorus retained In the body
explodes" In about II days, so there is
no possibility of long continued damage.
It IS distributed chiefly in the bone
marrow, liver, spleen and lymph nodes.
IL has little advantage, if any. o,rSrr
x-radlatlon. Since, however, the Conc
tratlon in tumors may be from three 81
flve times greater than in normal tissue
II IS proving of great aid in locating
such growths.
Used to Treat Goiter.
use OF radioactive iodine, the report
points out. is fairly well established IN
treatment OF toxic goiter but is dispIta-
Die IN cases of thryoid gland cancer. This
Is due to the fact that only low.prade
cancers take up the isotope in suficient
quantities to do any good, and these
can be more effectively treated by sur
gerry. The isotope has half life of onlv
eight days.
The third isotope is radioactive So
ofum which has half life of only about
IA hours. Hence it cannot be shipped
anywhere and patients must be treated
close to cyclotron where it is pro-
duced. 1t spreads evenly throughout the
body and hence may be considerable
value In treatment of cancer victims
wnere the cancer cells have spread
widely. Still, it is pointed out, there is
no particular advantage over x-radia-
tion of the entire body.
Radioactive gold, with a half life OF
less than three days, is of considerable
value when injected directly into a
cancer. #'A 81
Radioactive Carbon Is Enigma.
The enigma of the isotopes Is radio
active carbon. Carbon is the basic ele-
ment OF all life. 1t Is the major con-
stltuent OF all parts of all living things.
and the radioactive form is absorbed by
all parts of the body. There, is, how
ever, one insuperable obstacle to use of
the substance in medical treatment. It
has half life Of more than 5000 years.
1t would continue to damage tissues long
after the original purpose had been
served
It may. however. prove the most pow
erful tool conceivable for study Of the
behavior of various drugs in the bodies
of experimental animals. Such drugs
includes digitalis, opium and all its
derivatives, most of the vitamins and
proteins.
These cannot be Synthesized. The
only way to label them with radiocarbon
is to grow radioactive plants. This is
the object OF q project now being con-
Quoted at the University of Chicago,
where plants are grown in an atmos-
phere rich in synthesized carbon dioxide
to which large amounts of the radioac-
tive form of the element have been
added.
The growing plants absorb the ex-
ploding isotopes. They retain them
essentially forever. Any drugs COM
pounded of such plants are themselves
radioactive. One drug, bufotoxin, now
is being prepared by raising toads in an
enriched exploding carbon atmosphere.