Blood testing in the treatment of uterine cancer with radium

Blood changes in the treatment of malignant neoplasms with radiant energy, in particular radium, are presented by different authors in the following form. Obertin, Beaujard in 1904 found out that when patients are illuminated with X-rays, leukocytosis first occurs, and then leukopenia. Geinicke, Lenser, Gelber published their pathological and anatomical studies of white mice that died from X-ray illumination. Such mice always had a small brown-black spleen with follicles replaced by connective tissue. In the study of blood, the number of lymphocytes, neutrophilic leukocytes and eosinophilic leukocytes decreased the most. The bone marrow showed cell loss, but the tissue was capable of regeneration. According to the resistance of the radiant energy , the cells were arranged as follows: 1) neutrophilic leukocytes, 2) basophils, 3) eosinophilic leukocytes, 4) myelocytes, 5) lymphocytes. Silva, Mello experimented with thorium x, and lethal doses of the latter prompted the brain to hyperplasia. Thorium x primarily damages myeloid tissue, and X—rays damage lymphoid tissue. Gelber, Linzer, Milchner, Mosse found that therapeutic doses of radiant energy do not change either hemoglobin or erythrocytes. Gainicke found a decrease in hemoglobin and red blood cells after the use of radiant energy. Obert in, Beaujard noted bone marrow irritation (poikilocytes, erythroblasts). Polubinsky, Valtegefer found that under the influence of radiant energy, the number of red blood cells first decreases, and therefore increases (Polubinsky with uterine cancer, Valtegefer—with leukemia). The general opinion is that red blood cells are less sensitive than white blood cells, and are damaged only at very high doses of radiation. The energy degree of the observed leukopenia depends on the richness of the vessels, on the dose of rays and on the richness of this area with hematopoietic organs.
Zumpe examined the blood of 23 cancer patients treated with X-rays and came to the following conclusions: 1) the change in blood when illuminated by X—rays under certain conditions reinforces the clinical diagnosis and prediction, 2) the change in blood goes parallel to the severity of the disease, 3) lymphocytosis occurring after lymphopenia acquired by illumination is not necessarily favorable; on the contrary, ongoing lymphopenia is always unfavorable; 4) the shift to the left of the Arnett leukocyte formula caused by cancer, under the influence of the treated decreases; if this does not happen, then this is an unfavorable sign.