Letters Sent to Dr. Frederick B. Flinn, November 4, 1925

COPY RADIUM CHEMICAL COMPANY Pittsburgh,Pa. November 4,1925 Dr. Trederick B. Flinn, 437 Test 59th St., New York,N.Y. Dear Doctor: Replying to your letter of October 25th, regarding the effect on tismue 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 sonewhat 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 scroened radium, using slight distance, 50 to 300 milligrams at each application. It also included interstitial radiation from steol needles containing 12) milligrems each. As stated, the radiation was ven at irregular periods and was used, for the most part, on nodules although the base of the lesion was frequently rayed aftor the sloughing tiesue had been removed by the cautery to prevent absorption. For a long period after radiation it was impossible upon micropcopic 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 interosting part of this case was that in spite of this large amount of radiation, the normal surrounding tissue did not seom to be dama,ged and the spinous processes which wore exposed became ebonized instead of necrotic, and no damago whatever seemed to bo present in undorlying nerves. The patient finally succumbed to deep pelvie involvement, the end coming rather quicily. I have, of course, noticed the local effects on the fingers of radium W orkers and very early in my personal experience I devised mathods for handling radium without digital contact, for 1 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 exptheliome. These lesions, however, must be of extromely low virulence, as I have noted one on my own finger which been present for some seven or eight years, nevor disappears, does not extend and only becomos sensitive when radium is broucht in contact with the lesion. I trust that this information may be of some value to you, and would as' the case mentioned above be not quoted until the attending surgoon is ready to male full report. (signed) william H. Camor Medical Director.