Radiation therapy in the treatment of carcinoma of the lung.

In Ontario in the past 25 years, the death rate from cancer of the lung has shown a substantial increase, ninefold for males and twofold for females. The male:female ratio varied from an average of 8.5:1 to as high as 11.7:1 at the ages 65 to 69. From 1938 to 1958, one-quarter of the total cases (2457) were treated in Ontario Cancer Clinics. Survival rates were: for one year, 20%; three years, 6.5%, and for five years, 3.8%. Fifty-four per cent of surgically treated patients and 63% treated by resection and radiotherapy were alive one year after treatment. Of 821 cases treated with orthovoltage the one-year survival rate was 14%, and of 862 cases treated with cobalt therapy, 23%. It was concluded that this improvement in results may be attributed to the difference in treatment.