Chlorine and sodium perfusion and electrolyte balance in human tissue and tumours before and during neutron and photon radiotherapy

Abstract

Radiotherapy with nuclear reactor fission neutrons was applied in 49 cases of pretreated patients with superficial metastases or relapses from primary carcinoma. Measurements of the decay rates of the radiation-induced radioactivity of 49Ca, 38Cl and 24Na in the irradiated tissue resulted in values for the simultaneous local kinetics of chlorine and sodium, and in approximate data on the electrolyte masses. The electrolytes were present in non-exchangeable and exchangeable compartments of soft tissue. Exchange times of the intravascular to extravascular turnover and the frequencies of the exchange fractions were determined for a series of irradiations. The results have been interpreted in terms of the mean electrolyte exchange rates, of a standardized functional blood flow, and of the supply capacity of the vascular system. In the average of all cases, the regional perfusion was reduced by about 30% by irradiation up to 14 Gy (equivalent photon dose = 45 Gy) connected with an increase in the non-exchangeable fractions. After fractionated doses higher than 14 Gy, functional blood flow and supply capacity increased to 120%, and fixed electrolytes were removed from the irradiated tissue. Data on electrolyte kinetics and vascularity are compared with the literature.