Document text
Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.
Page 1
Project Name: Use of radioisotopes for interstitial Date Started : 1957 irradiation Date Terminated: 1960s Identification : ACRH, FMI Project Durati on : impl anted radioi sotopes. \ Treatment of cancer and control of pain by means o f Short Description : In 1958, a method was devised for treatment of metastatic cancer of the breast and prostate; yttrium-90 was used as an impl antto destroy the pituitary gland, as a less dangerous and difficult a1 ter native to surgical excision of the organ. In 1959, clinical and experimental work continued with various soft-x-rayemitting isotopes which had been found t o be we1 1 suited for del ive ring interstitial radiation for the treatment of malignancies. Among them, pal ladium103 was used without immediate harmful effects to treat several patients with Iodine-131 encased i n polyethyl ene appl ica tors was impl anted inpatients with inoperable carcinomas of the pancreas, witha successful outcome ina number of Radiotherapists a t the Argonne Cancer Research Hospital tested the use of radioactive chromium wire of high purity i n cancer therapy. Chromium wire i s unique because i t may be left permanently i n the body. Chromium has no known chemical effect on the tissues, and i t has a convenient half - life of 27 days, sufficient to ensure an effective dose of radiation, but not so long that the metal would have t o be removed t o prevent an overdose. radiochromium had alife expectancy o f only six monghs, but seems t o have achieved a complete cure and was leading a normal l i f e . By 1967, ten more chromium implants had been made. A 1 so aroung 1963, w i t h Dr. S. Mu1 lan, ACRH developed a "Sr needle which was inserted t o control intractable pain through the production of a lesion i n the spinal cord. Among 30 patients treated, there was no mortality or serious compl icati on in the seri es. One patient treated with
Page 2
with permanent interstitial imp1 ants using chromi um 51 sources. Am. J. Roentgenol., Rad. Ther. & Nucl. Med. CII:657, 1968. 40:270, 1956. Isotope imp1 ant therapy for internally situated tumors. Surgery hypophysis of radioactive yttrium. Surg. Gynec. Obstet. 106:600, 1958. interruption of spinal-pain tracts by means of a strontium-90 needle.