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Re: Q:therapeutic doses - pneumothorax
Melissa woo wrote:
> A colleague called and asked if I had any information about what
> therapeutic doses were given to patients to treat a condition called
> pneumothorax. He also mentioned treatment of TB patients during the 50s
> and 60s, but it wasn't clear if that was related. He also made mention of
> something called the BRIER reports.
>
> Does anyone have information on this, or can even make sense of what he's
> asking? He apparently has little access to references, and I'm not sure
> we'd have much relevant in our office.
>
> Thanks much!
>
> --
> Melissa Woo, Health Physicist |<mailto:m-woo@uiuc.edu>
> Div. of Environmental Health & Safety |office 217.244-7233
> 101 S. Gregory St., MC-225, Urbana, IL 61801 |fax 217.244.6594
> <www.uiuc.edu/ph/www/m-woo/> |
>
THIS IS BY NO MEANS A DEFINITIVE ANSWER. FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME.Radiation
wasn't used to treat pneumothorax, but a group was monitored using
fluoroscopy.
Pneumothorax means a collapsed lung. Air is introduced into the thorax,
breaking the suction caused by the diaphragm and causing one side of the lung
to collapse. I don't know if it can be done on a lobe by lobe basis (Rt side
has 3 lobes, left has 2).
This was done as a treatment for tuberculosis. To monitor the collapsed lung,
the patient was subjected to repeat fluoroscopy.
TB patients who had this procedure represent a large population for studying
the effects of radiation on the breast. The 1990 BEIR (Biological Effects of
Ionizing Radiation)(BEIR V, National Academy of Sciences Press, 1990) report
lists 2 separate groups that received this type of treatment, a Canadian study
with > 30,000 women first treated 1930 - 52 and a Massachusetts group of about
1000 patients irradiated 1930 - 56.
The above mentioned BEIR report is a good source for the references.
Therte were some UN reports as well. I haven't seen one lately.
Title was UNSCEAR: UN Scientific Comm on Effects of Atomic Radiation.
--
Chris Hawkins
Radiation Oncology
Guthrie Clinic - RPH
Sayre, PA 18840
717.882.4048/5166(fax)
mailto:chawkins@inet.guthrie.org
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