Effect of Chronic Bronchitis on Changes in Pulmonary Function Caused by Irradiation of the Lungs.

In a previous paper (Gillam, Heaf, Hoffbrand, and Hilton, 1964) it was shown that, contrary to widespread opinion, the presence of co-existing chronic bronchitis does not interfere with the treatment of bronchial carcinoma by radiotherapy. Patients with severe chronic bronchitis can be given the same dose of irradiation as those with mild bronchitis or with previously normal lungs. Survival after radiotherapy for bronchial carcinoma is not shortened by co-existing chronic bronchitis. The incidence of exacerbations of bronchitis both during and after radiotherapy is no more than might be expected in such a group of patients without irradiated lungs. Chronic bronchitis has also been suggested as an aetiological factor in the development of radiation pneumonitis and fibrosis (Warren, 1942; Widmann, 1942; Rubin, Andrews, Paton, and Flick, 1958). The clinical study described in our other paper suggests that this is not the case. Serial pulmonary function tests have been used to investigate these problems further and the results are reported here.