New Cancer Treatment Heals First Patient

Chronicle (Levin), 10 December 1949, Page 5

New Cancer Treatment Heals First Patient

NEW YORK, Dec. 8. A 25,000,000-volt betatron had healed a tumour of the first cancer patient treated with it, University of Illinois scientists reported today. This "super . X-ray y. machine was used for the first time Three months a-go on a 72-year-old man suffering from inoperable cancer of the throat. The university spokesman said: "The patient was now up and around doing hi3 norma 1 business." Dr. Roger Harvey, head of the university 's radiologv department, said the results were encouraging, but he cautioned that the man might not me permanently cured. He said the doetors did not consider tumours cured until . there had been no recurring symptoms | for five years. Only four persons had been treated; with the aid of the huge machine, and all of them were volunteers. One person had a large cancer of the jaw which was considered inoperable. All the damaged tissues had been healed by ^he betatron except for one small spot. There was an improvement also in tlie case of another patient who had operable cancer of the throat which had invaded his vocal cords. Dr. Harvey said the results thus far demonstrated the superiority of betatron over the conventional X-ray in penetration deep into the body without !using power.