On the controversies surrounding the origins of radiation therapy.

In this study the authors analyze the documentation regarding the earliest known X-ray treatments with the objective of identifying the true origin of radiation therapy. The four most often quoted events, including X-ray treatments allegedly performed in 1896 are analyzed in the light of available published reports. From this it is concluded that Despeignes of Lyon, who in July of 1896 irradiated a patient with cancer of the stomach, is in all likelihood the first person to perform documented radiation therapy treatments with a scientific and logical basis.