A study of late radiation necrosis following therapy of skin cancer.

Abstract

The utilization of roentgen rays in cancer therapy obviously is dependent upon their capacity to destroy malignant growth without producing destruction of surrounding normal tissue. However, in basal- and squamous-cell cancer of skin, margin of difference between what is generally regarded as the tumor lethal dose and that which will produce permanent destruction (necrosis) of normal skin and subcutaneous tissues, is a somewhat narrow one. It should not be surprising, therefore, that if normal tissue tolerance were for any reason slightly lowered, it might approach that of tumor lethal dose. Consequently, surrounding tissue, as well as tumor, might be destroyed. Although these basic principles have been known for years, there appears to be a tendency to associate phenomenon of tissue necrosis solely with excessive overdosage. The late radiation changes resulting from total dosages far in