Radiation therapy of hemangiomas, 1909-1959. A cohort based on 50 years of clinical practice at Radiumhemmet, Stockholm.

Radium and roentgen therapies for hemangiomas of the skin (mainly strawberry hemangiomas) were used between 1909 and 1959 at Radiumhemmet, Stockholm. The total number of admitted patients with hemangioma of the skin during this period was 20,012. About 90 per cent were treated with irradiation and radium therapy was the most commonly used modality. Needles, tubes and flat applicators containing radium were used. Roentgen therapy was given by using standard machines available at the time. A small number of patients were treated with 32P plaques. Most hemangiomas were located in the head-neck region (47%) and 30 per cent were located on the thorax and upper part of the abdomen. The median age at the first treatment was 6 months and 99 per cent of all patients were younger than 2 years of age at the time of treatment. The purpose of the investigation was to define a cohort, useful for studies on possible late effects following exposure to ionizing radiation in childhood.