Experimental Radiotherapy of Abdominal Cancer—IV. Radiosensitivity of Liver Tumours

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Abstract
Primary carcinoma of the liver as observed in Southern Africa resembles the chemically-induced experimental rathepatoma in its pathogenesis, response to irradiation, complications, and the histological features both before and after treatment, suggesting the probability of a similar aetiology. Unlike the more localised growths usually seen in Europeans, the presence of widespread hepatic carcinosis renders surgical treatment impracticable in these cases and radiotherapy offers the only possible palliation. While the normal liver is not unduly radiosensitive and can easily withstand full therapeutic doses, treatment is complicated by the severe systemic effects of irradiation of the abdomen. Premedication with flavonoids (rutin), or preferably, field-fractionation with grids, largely prevents the adverse effects of abdominal irradiation both in man and the experimental animal and renders radiotherapy of liver cancer a practicable procedure. Both these protective methods also seem to reduce the intensity of...

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