Biological hazards of radiation.

Stevenson, Bedford, Dolphin, Purrott, Lloyd, Hill, Hill, Gumpel, Williams, Scott, Ramsey, Bruckner, and Fearn (1973) reported that high chromosome aberration yields in lymphocytes were found in those patients treated with injections of 198Au or 90Y for rheumatoid conditions ofthe knee when radioactivity had leaked along the lymphatics to the inguinal lymph nodes. This leakage and the consequent high doses to the regional lymph nodes had been observed and reported earlier by Virkkunen, Krusius, and Heiskanen (1967). More recently de la Chapelle, Rekonen, and Ruotsi (1972) have shown that the leakage and the chromosome aberration yield can be reduced by immobilization of the patients after injection. The purpose ofthis paper is to discuss the biological significance of the chromosome aberrations observed in lymphocytes and the significance of the radiation dose to body tissues in the patients treated with '98Au or 90Y as reported in the study by Stevenson and others (1973).