Evening star., 1952-03-20
Radiation Is Proving
Effective in Treatment
OF Some Cancers u
By Pot McGrudy

OF Some Cancers y
By Pot Mc6rody
Science Editor. American Cancer Society.
A couple Of years ago scientists
at the Massachusetts, Institute Of
Technology set up a big machine,
which would produce X-rays un-
der the enormous power Of 2 mil
lion volts. N
They established, as best they
could with experimental animals.
Fifth Of Series.
Q range Of dosages that would be
safe.
Then they devised a chair that
would rotate slowly while the
powerful X-ray beam was aimed
in on one central point. The
beam could be cut down to the
diameter of a small rifle bullet
or enlarged to cover an entire
abdomen.
Cancer Patients Tested.
They took few cancer patients
who could not be helped by sur
geons or radiotherapists using
conventional X-ray equipment
and, under the direction Of a
radiotherapist, they aimed their
beam at the tumors while the pa
tients were slowly turned. The
patients were treated daily-some
of them for more than a month.
At their last report, they had
treated 286 patients, most of
them with very advanced cancers.
OF these 157 were free Of symp-
toms; Al were dead: 10 were liv-.
ing with hopelessly spread cam
GERS; the disease had recurred in
five and persisted in IL. The re-
naming 46 either were very new
patients or ones whom social
workers could not trace.
The scientists are satisfied with
the results of their experiment.
and so is the American Cancer
Society, which helped finance it,
Not Considered Cured.
The scientists do not regard
their symptom-free patients as
cured. The disease already has re-
Cured in five. At least five years
must pass after conclusion OF
treatment before anyone can be
considered cured.
The machine viii not be ehec-
tive against widely spread can
GERS. It will, however. hit the deep
est tumor and the nearest lymph
nodes to which cancer cells may
have migrated.
While the treatment is still
regarded as experimental and prt-I
marily for use on patients who
cannot be helped by surgery or
standard radiation. it avoids some
of the mutilation that radical
surgery entails.
This is only one of many i'm
pressive advances in the irradia-
ton of cancers-the product OF
long years Of research.
Atom Smasher Used,
Other new radiation technidnes
are also highly experimental, and
no one at this time will attempt
to evaluate the treatments ex-l
cept as they reduce pain, son1e-
times shrink or destroy tlmors
and put the patient back on his
feet.
One Of the more spectacular
techniques developed by Harvard
neurosurgeons, NIT physicists and
specialists Of the Atomic Energy
Commission is to administer borax
to patients with highly malignant
brain tumors and places them next
to an atomic pile. The borax con-
centrates more in the faSt-grow-
ing brain tumor than in the slow
growing normal brain tissue. The
boron captures slow neutrons
emitted by the pile and the tiny
explosions In the brain destroy
boron bearing cells. !
A growing number Of hopeless
cases has been treated this way.
Clinical results have not yet been
reported. The technique now Is
being proposed as routine post
operative treatment for brain
tumor cases even where surgery
is possible. It might knock out
cancer cells that were hidden from
the surgeons view.
Iodine Destroys Growths.
Perhaps the best results in
treating cancer with radioactive
materials have been achieved in
thyroid tumors. A small percent
age of those tumors, even when
they have spread to far parts Of
the body, can be induced to take
up radioactive iodine which will
destroy them.
Scientists at the Meharry Med
ical School, University of Penn
sylvania and Pittsburgh have in
jected radioactive gold washes in