Can Lung Cancer be Cured by Irradiation Alone?

Abstract

The published results of cases treated by irradiation alone are not encouraging. Hilton in 1955¹⁵reported eight patients out of 203 who survived five years following radiotherapy. Paterson et al in 1950¹⁶from the Christie Hospital, Manchester, England, reported seven patients out of 254 who survived five years. Dobbie in 1944¹⁷and Shorvon in 1947¹⁸reported a 2% survival rate for five years. However, Brooks et al in 1951¹⁹described four patients treated by irradiation only, who came to necropsy with no evidence of growth in the lung. These patients all had inoperable carcinomas and indicate that certain primary carcinomas can be treated and cured by irradiation alone. It must be remembered that the original figures quoted are patients treated by radiotherapy who were considered unsuitable for surgery for one reason or another. Operable patients treated at the Bromptom and the London Chest hospitals showed