CLINICAL AND HISTOLOGIC CHANGES PRODUCED IN CARCINOMA OF THE CERVIX BY DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF ROENTGEN RADIATION

Abstract

If any marked advance is to be made in the use of current methods for the control of carcinoma of the cervix of the uterus, it will be necessary to deliver more adequate radiation to the parametrium. Radium applied to the cervix alone is capable of controlling disease within a distance of 3 or perhaps 4 cm. from the cervical canal in most patients without completely destroying normal tissues. This fact is illustrated by the relatively high percentage of cures among patients with early stages of cancer of the cervix. However, when the parametrium or the pelvic lymphatics are involved, some other means must be employed in an attempt to deliver a sufficient dose to these regions. Roentgen irradiation is the method most frequently used for this purpose. The response of a malignant tumor to radiation is largely dependent on the dose delivered to the diseased area and the rate