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RADIUM CHEMICAL COMPANY
Pittsburgh,Pa.
November 4,1925
Dr. Frederick B. Flinn,
437 West 59th St.,
New York,N.Y.
Dear Doctor:
Replying to your letter of October 25th, regarding the effect on tissue of
long continued exposures of radium.
I am very sorry to say that I do not have any reprints on this particular
subject, but the case quoted by Dr. Pfahler is somewhat as follows: The original
lesion was supposed to be an osteosarcoma situated in the left gluteal region. It was
operated in an Eastern Clinic and promptly returned; was operated a second time, with a
very rapid return. The first operation was about 13 years ago. After the second
operation the returned mass was rayed and during the next 12 years, this patient received
over this region 135,000 milligram hours of radium. This was delivered at irregular
periods and included surface radiation with screened radium, using slight distance,
50 to 300 milligrams at each application. It also included interstitial radiation from
steel needles containing 12½ milligrams each.
As stated, the radiation was given at irregular periods and was used, for the
most part, on nodules although the base of the lesion was frequently rayed after the
sloughing tissue had been removed by the cautery to prevent absorption. For a long
period after radiation it was impossible upon microscopic examination to find other than
dense fibrous tissue, but finally the growth was found to be a neurosarcoma, which it
had probably been from the beginning.
The interesting part of this case was that in spite of this large amount of
radiation, the normal surrounding tissue did not seem to be damaged and the spinous
processes which were exposed became ebonized instead of necrotic, and no damage whatever
seemed to be present in underlying nerves. The patient finally succumbed to deep pelvic
involvement, the end coming rather quickly.
I have, of course, noticed the local effects on the fingers of radium W orkers
and very early in my personal experience I devised methods for handling radium without
digital contact, for I am quite sure that long continued short exposures of the fingers
to radium applicators will in time produce a radium keratosis, with a subsequent develop-
ment of a more virulent lesion - possibly a squamous cell eqpthelioma. These lesions,
however, must be of extremely low virulence, as I have noted one on my own finger which has
been present for some seven or eight years, never disappears, does not extend and only
becomes sensitive when radium is brought in contact with the lesion.
I trust that this information may be of some value to you, and would ask that
the case mentioned above be not quoted until the attending surgeón is ready to make a
full report.
(signed) William H. Cameron
Medical Director.
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"ocrText": "COPY\nRADIUM CHEMICAL COMPANY\nPittsburgh,Pa.\nNovember 4,1925\nDr. Frederick B. Flinn,\n437 West 59th St.,\nNew York,N.Y.\nDear Doctor:\nReplying to your letter of October 25th, regarding the effect on tissue of\nlong continued exposures of radium.\nI am very sorry to say that I do not have any reprints on this particular\nsubject, but the case quoted by Dr. Pfahler is somewhat as follows: The original\nlesion was supposed to be an osteosarcoma situated in the left gluteal region. It was\noperated in an Eastern Clinic and promptly returned; was operated a second time, with a\nvery rapid return. The first operation was about 13 years ago. After the second\noperation the returned mass was rayed and during the next 12 years, this patient received\nover this region 135,000 milligram hours of radium. This was delivered at irregular\nperiods and included surface radiation with screened radium, using slight distance,\n50 to 300 milligrams at each application. It also included interstitial radiation from\nsteel needles containing 12½ milligrams each.\nAs stated, the radiation was given at irregular periods and was used, for the\nmost part, on nodules although the base of the lesion was frequently rayed after the\nsloughing tissue had been removed by the cautery to prevent absorption. For a long\nperiod after radiation it was impossible upon microscopic examination to find other than\ndense fibrous tissue, but finally the growth was found to be a neurosarcoma, which it\nhad probably been from the beginning.\nThe interesting part of this case was that in spite of this large amount of\nradiation, the normal surrounding tissue did not seem to be damaged and the spinous\nprocesses which were exposed became ebonized instead of necrotic, and no damage whatever\nseemed to be present in underlying nerves. The patient finally succumbed to deep pelvic\ninvolvement, the end coming rather quickly.\nI have, of course, noticed the local effects on the fingers of radium W orkers\nand very early in my personal experience I devised methods for handling radium without\ndigital contact, for I am quite sure that long continued short exposures of the fingers\nto radium applicators will in time produce a radium keratosis, with a subsequent develop-\nment of a more virulent lesion - possibly a squamous cell eqpthelioma. These lesions,\nhowever, must be of extremely low virulence, as I have noted one on my own finger which has\nbeen present for some seven or eight years, never disappears, does not extend and only\nbecomes sensitive when radium is brought in contact with the lesion.\nI trust that this information may be of some value to you, and would ask that\nthe case mentioned above be not quoted until the attending surgeón is ready to make a\nfull report.\n(signed) William H. Cameron\nMedical Director."
}