The Faculty of Radiologists—Discussion

Abstract

There are two aspects to the question of the production of general effects in radiotherapy; there are those effects that are intended and thought to be beneficial, and those that are incidental and deleterious. The gap between these two is bridged by the treatment of that group of radiosensitive diseases characterised by hypertrophy of homologous tissues throughout the body rather than by a single malignant focus with a tendency to dissemination. Here radiotherapy produces adequate local effects for the relief of symptoms, but has not proved very successful in supplying general effects that have any fundamental influence on the progress of the disease. The combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in this group of diseases may possibly offer some hope for future progress. In the study of the local effects of radiation a combination of observation and experiment has led to advancement in our knowledge, and we have employed a unit of local dose, the rontgen, that has been generally accepted. Experience h...