Evening star., 1953-08-05
Atomic Lob ProIonqs
Cancer Patients Lives
No Cure Recorded Yet,
But Results Are PROMISING
By Thomos R. Henry

Lives of patients with incurable brain
cancers now are being prolonged as
much as six months by planting atomic
minef1elds in their brains.
This treatment, under investigation
for several years with somewhat de-
batable results, Is given at the Atomic
Energy Commissions Brookhaven, Long
Island, laboratory.
Only cases for which hope has been
given up and who are in terminal stages
of the cancer are treated. In no case
has there been anything approaching a
"cure," but also there have been no bad
effects.
The extra six months of life is spent
in reasonable comfort. with the patient
able to carry on useful work.
These results of work still in its pio-
neer stages are announced in the semi
annual report of the Atomic Energy
Commission.
First an injection of boron is shot
into the patients blood stream. This
element appears to have special af-
f1nity for brain tumor cells. Then the
scalp is exposed to a beam Of high
energy protons created in the labora-
tory's powerful atomic pile.
Process Explained.
When the protons strike the boron
atoms they are. in many cases,
captured" The boron atoms become
radioactive and start shooting out
heavy alpha particles - essentially
nuclei of helium atoms-which destroy
the surrounding cancer tissue. These
alpha particles have an extremely short
range, so that they do not go far
enough to injure healthy brain tissue.
Response of some patients to this
treatment has been impressive" the
report says, although the improve
ment in all cases has been temporary.
Ten patients have been irradiated.
Unfortunately none have been cured,
but in the more favorable cases about
six months of useful life was added
to the patients life spans. Periods Of
observation up to six months have
revealed no serious complications re-
Sulting from this form of treatment.
Before adequate control of tumor
growth can be expected, a great deal
more information must be obtained on
the rate of distribution Of boron
through the tumor mass and further
LIluSO UC uCNClOpCO w SlNO
more adequate information on the
total integrated dose given the tumor."
The ultimate role of radiation ther-
apy in cancer treatment remains much
of problem the report says. The 1853
budget allocates ST million for biological
research, largely conducted by contracts
with universities and hospitals. Much
of this is for cancer research.
No Miracles Yet.
Up to now results have fallen quite
short of medical miracles but promising
leads have turned up. Among the most
promising are effects of radioactive
gold This is used both by direct injec-
ton into the tumor mass and by local
injection into the abdomen in treat
ment of the accumulation of fluid that
is associated with generalized cancer
of the abdominal cavity This does not
cure the cancer, but it oftens gives the
patients a great deal of relief. Results
of injecting radiogold directly into cam
GERS of the prostate have been encour-
aging, but the technique is so new
that no definite conclusions have been
reached.
Natural radium still has various ad-
vantages for cancer treatment, although
it gradually is being replaced by the
much cheaper radioactive cobalt which
can be manufactured in any amounts
desired in atomic piles Radium is ex-
tremely scarce and large part of it's
cost lies in the extreme difficulty Of
separating it from other elements with
which it is associated.
Extraction of relatively pure radium
first was accomplished in 1898 by the
French physicists, Pierre and Marie
Curie. Their finally successful attempt
involved % steps and required more
than a month. Essentially the same
methods have been followed ever since.
Now, the report announces. Acc SCI
entists have succeeded in reducing the
process to 10 steps which can be COM
pleted in a few days.