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What were the historical radiation fields and dose for treatment of benign tonsillitis?

Does this ever affect your decision for treatment of current disease (eg likely radiation-associated sarcoma vs likely unrelated new oropharynx cancer)?
1 Answer
Mednet Member
Mednet Member
Radiation Oncology · UMass Memorial Medical Group
Answered on

The majority of patients treated under this indication were children in the late 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s. The prevailing thought at the time was that the irradiation of the tonsils and adenoids would help clear acute and chronic inflammation, and "atrophize" the resultant hyper-plastic lymphoid...

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