Treatment of primary pulmonary cancer with Cobalt-60

Lee, D H; Choi, B S

Abstract

With medium energy radiation treatment by 60Co teletherapy was observed primary lung cancer of 62 cases andadjunct change in the chest. The radiation therapeutic effects biased by initiation period of progression of tumoritself is well known facts. Of these 62 patients, 42 had completed a course of treatment with total tumor dosesranged from 4,000 rads to 7,000 rads. Patients were fractionally treated five times per week with weekly tumordose of 1,000 rads. Among the 42 patients of sex incidence, 36 cases (86%) were male, and 6 patients (14%) werefemale. The maximum cancer incidence was found in 7th decade being in 16 patients (38.1%). Histopathologicalconfirmation of 27 cases (64.2%) of primary pulmonary cancer is as follows; 9 patients (33.3%) of squamous cellcarcinoma, 8 cases (28.6%) of undiffrentiated cell carcinoma, 6 cases (22.2%) of oat cell carcinoma, 3 patients(11.1%) of adenocarcinoma and 1 case was carcinoid type of malignant bronchial adenoma. During the course oftreatment by weekly check-up of plain chest roentgenogram the onset of radiation pneumonitis was elucidated in 2-3monnths following initiation of treatment and occurrence of fibrosis is individualized in 3-6 months in 16 cases of lung cancer among the 62 cases. Follow-up about half of total cases of 1 year survival was 26.6%. Lengthiestsurvival was in squamous cell carcinoma of well differentiated group and in undifferentiated carcinoma relativelyshort survival was seen. Supportive surgical and chemotherapeutic treatment seem to increase survival rate.