Exploring the Delayed Use of Radiotherapy in Treating Cancer
One of the most comforting aspects of entering a radiotherapy centre is that whilst many of the therapies and technologies being used are new, the underlying concept behind the treatment has been established for over a century.
This means that the properties of radiation as a therapeutic treatment are very well-established, anyone who is recommended a course of radiotherapy will be made completely aware of what to expect and treatments are designed to maximise the benefits whilst minimising harm.
The Gamma Knife is one of the greatest examples of this, as its use of stereotactic beams precisely located at specific points means that it can destroy harmful lesions, tumours and growths on the brain without incision and with as little harm to healthy tissue as possible.
Radiotherapy has technically existed since 1896, but the Gamma Knife and the modern era of radiotherapy took over half a century to emerge, and even half a century after that there are still constant evolutions and developments in modern radiotherapy techniques to make it more effective and able to treat even more patients.
Part of the reason it took so long was due to technological evolution; modern radiotherapy is very dependent on computers, which only existed theoretically in the 19th century through concepts such as the Analytical Engine.
By the 1940s and 1950s, when radiotherapy emerged in a more modern, recognisable form, computers existed and were developing at such an exponential rate that they could be used to safely control radiation dosages in a way that was at the time unprecedented.
However, there was not only a technological shift but also a cultural one, one that required people to look at radiation for what it could do for us and not be swayed by overly optimistic views of a radioactive utopia.
The Fall Of Radiomania
The discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Rontgen, and later the radium experiments by Marie and Pierre Curie meant that the early 20th century was dominated by a belief that radioactivity would be a major positive part of everyone’s lives.
Water dispensers were “infused” with radioactivity based on somewhat dubious claims about the connection between the benefits of health springs and the presence of radioactivity in said wells.
This spread to intentionally radioactive cosmetics, toothpastes, cigarette packaging and revitalising tonics were all advertised using extremely twisted and manipulated evidence.
Radiation was an effective therapy not because it encouraged healing but because it destroyed particularly dangerous cells, masses and growths and ensured that no trace of them was left, which allowed healthy tissue to recover over time.
In the 1910s, there were a lot of products that proudly marketed themselves as containing some form of radioactive substance, although due to the expense of using actual radium at the time, most of these products thankfully contained none.
The Radium Brand Creamery Butter had no radium in it, and whilst the cosmetic brand Tho-Radia did, it would get rid of any radioactive materials by 1937. Other existing products such as spring water or hot spring spas would capitalise by advertising the trace amounts of radium.
However, whilst some products of the radiomania era accidentally made themselves safer by lying about the amount of radium in them, others, unfortunately, highlighted why radiation needs to be used responsibly.
The deaths of Marie Curie and the Radium Girls highlighted that irresponsible use of radiation in research and industrial manufacturing respectively could cause significant harm. The latter, in particular, led to changes in occupational health and safety laws to hold companies responsible.
The final shift and the catalyst that ended the unintentional restrictions of radiomania for good was the case of Eben Byers.
An industrialist and amateur golfer, Mr Byers would suffer a significant injury to his arm in 1927 after falling from his bunk bed on a sleeper train. Whilst his arm recovered, he would have persistent pain for the rest of his life.
A doctor recommended that he try a radium salt solution known as Radithor, and within three years he had taken 1400 doses, giving him a radium intake of around 1000 microcuries (when the base tolerance level is estimated to be 0.1 microcuries).
This caused a lot of major health complications, and he died on 31st March 1932, leading to a fundamental change in medical safety legislation and the perception of radioactivity in the wider world.
When radiation therapy emerged as a treatment for cancer, it was grounded in the practical goal of precisely targeting and eliminating harmful parts of the body. Over time, advancements have refined its precision and effectiveness, offering hope and healing to countless patients.
