Practical Aspects of Radioactive Isotopes in Relation to Medical Treatment

Abstract

At the present time the use of artificial radioactive isotopes seems to be of considerable value in a few very limited fields of practical medical treatment. These applications are recent and still very incompletely understood, so that a conservative approach is essential.Radio-phosphorus was first used clinically in 1936 by J. H. Lawrence and his colleagues at Berkeley, California.

Autoradiography and radioactivity measurements with human neoplasms containing radiophosphorus

“…Activities which can be administered safely are therefore low (5 to 10 mC) and the corresponding specific activities of tumour tissue rarely rise above a few tenths of a microcurie per gram. The total mean radiation dose to a tissue containing initially 1 pC/g of P3a is approximately 600 rad (MITCHELL 1951), and no striking therapeutic effects on tumours of ordinary radiosensitivity can be expected following systemic administration of this isotope. Such limited degrees of concentration have some value for diagnosis and assessment of progress (LOW-BEER 1952), and possibly for the treatment of very radiosensitive lesions (RENFER 1955).…”