RESULTS OF COBALT 60 ROTATION THERAPY IN CARCINOMA OF THE CERVIX

¹ From the Radiation Therapy Department of Presbyterian Unit Hospital of the United Hospitals of Newark, New Jersey

1. A method of treating carcinoma of the cervix with a cobalt 6o teletherapy machine, using 360° rotation, and irradiating a larger and then a smaller volume in the pelvis is described.

2. Isodose curves are given for the distribution of dose in a body cross section, in per cent of tumor dose and in r for the following conditions: when a tumor receives (a) 4,000 r, (b) 3,000 r with the smaller field, (c) a combination of these two, and (d) a combination of 5,000 r to the larger field and 3,000 r to the smaller field.

3. An analysis is made of the patient material, 55 cases, giving the pathology of the tumor, the stages of the disease, the marital status, the number of pregnancies, the symptoms which brought the patient to the physician, and the age distribution.

4. The results of this method of therapy are given. The survival with no evidence of disease is 86 per cent in Stage I, 80 per cent in Stage II, 67 per cent in Stage III and none in Stage Iv. The over-all survival is 67 per cent. The more advanced cases in Stage III show the greatest improvement in survival rates.

The survival rates are compared with those of other investigators using radium and external irradiation, and are found to be equal if not better.

5. Reactions due to therapy are described. The number of cases having diarrhea and dysuria are charted. These symptoms were generally mild and controllable.

6. The surgical procedures post therapy that were performed were examined and the findings are discussed.

7. Methods by which improvement in isodose distribution may be obtained are presented.

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