Clinical Evaluation of Radioactive Chrome Phosphate in the Control of Malignant Pleural and Ascitic Effusions

Abstract

Malignant effusions are an ever present problem confronting physicians treating patients with far advanced metastatic cancer. During the past eight years several agents have been utilized in an effort at palliation and control of such effusions. The use of radioactive colloidal gold (Au198) was reported by Müller (18) in 1949. Chrome phosphate utilizing radioactive P32 was investigated by Jaffe (8) in 1950, and in 1956 Siegel and her colleagues (22) described the use of radioyttrium (Y90). Table I compares briefly the characteristics of radioactive agents used for the control of malignant effusions. It is to be noted that chrome phosphate as produced at present shows a wide variation in particle size. In most of the commercially available solutions, however, approximately 85 per cent of the particles measure from 1 to 5 micra. There is experimental evidence that the larger particles are less readily absorbed (5). Radioactive gold exhibits a uniform particle size and is a more stable colloidal solution. La...