Radiation Treatment of Breast Cancer

Abstract

The disappearance of carcinoma of the breast under X-ray treatment, though occasionally obtained, is, of course, a rare result. We have, therefore, to consider treatment of breast carcinoma in the light of surgery or radium needling plus X-ray radiation. I will not discuss the radium treatment of breast cancer because my experience is quite limited, and because having only had to deal with the failures I am bound to be biased in my views as to the results. I would, however, mention that those cases of breast tumour where radium needling had been used and failed have been among the earliest and most extensive recurrences that it has been my misfortune to come across. There seemed to be in those patients a general invasion of the tissues by malignant cells where the whole structures are matted together in a hard, impenetrable mass on palpation, whereas in the average recurrence or invasion of glands in such a condition, where no radium has been used, one usually finds that glands, though hard, are yet separately palpable. Such a case came under my notice lately: Age fifty-three. Two years ago—operation for carcinoma of left breast. Halsted's complete excision. Two months ago—radon needles inserted in supraclavicular triangle because of recurrence. Present condition—brachial neuritis of left arm. Wasting of thenar eminence and interosei, and also wrist drop. Severe pain. Patient still has several malignant glands in the supraclavicular triangle, also a few subcutaneous nodules in the scar and some in the axilla.