CHAPTER 18 



Carcinogenesis by Ionizing Radiations 



Jacob Furth 1 

 Biology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory 



AND EGON LORENZ 



National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md. 



Introduction. Physical aspects of carcinogenesis by ionizing radiations. Historical. 

 Neoplasia induced by X and gamma radiation. Neoplasia induced by radioactive sub- 

 stances: Artificial radioactive isotopes. Neutrons. Organ susceptibility to tumor forma- 

 tion. Leukemia: Leukemia among radiologists — Experimental induction of leukemia. 

 Endocrine organs: Gonads — Pituitary tumors — Thyroid — Parathyroid. Mammary 

 gland. Uterus. Skin. Lung: Lung tumors among miners of Schneeberg and Jdchymov 

 — Experimental induction of lung tumors in radioactive mines — Experimental induction 

 of lung tumors by X or gamma radiation. Bone: Bone tumors in radium dial painters — 

 Experimental production of bone tumors. Liver. Gastrointestinal tract. Brain. 

 General comments: Cocarcinogenesis by irradiation. Mechanism of carcinogenesis. 

 References. 



INTRODUCTION 



During the past fifty years a mass of data has been accumulated on the 

 induction of cancer in man and many species of animals by various types 

 of ionizing radiations disclosing numerous factors. The need is felt to 

 review these in historical perspective. Recent developments are being 

 widely disseminated by scientists and their institutions, but little is 

 known of past achievements in which much recent work is rooted. 

 Excellent work by pioneers, many of whom died with cancer induced by 

 irradiation, paved the way to safety measures enabling now the handling 

 of large amounts of radioactive substances with perfect safety. Good 

 monographs on the subject in French by Lacassagne (1935a, b) are avail- 

 able, but neither these nor the work of their author is widely known, even 

 though the originality of his contributions is hardly matched in depth by 

 more recent work. Among the older monographs on the subject of 

 irradiation injuries in man and animals, those of Colwell and Russ (1924, 

 1934) and Colwell (1935) are outstanding. Excellent recent reviews on 



1 Work at Oak Ridge and preparation of manuscript were performed under Con- 

 tract No. W-7405-eng-26 for the Atomic Energy Commission. 



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