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Argonne Rational Laboratory
OPERATED BY THE
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UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
BOX 299 LEMONT, ILL.
TELEGRAM WUX LB LEMONT, ILL
TELEPHONE LEMONT 800
July 12, 1956
TELETYPE TWX LEMONT, ILL. 1710
Dr. Charles L, Dunham
Division of Biology and Medicine
Atomic Energy Commission
Washington 25, D. C.
Dear Dr, Dunham:
Dr. Brues has referred your inquiry concerning the RaSO)}, inhalation
cases to me,
These cases are characterized by an initially low Rn/Total Ra ratio,
which approaches that found in the chronic case, .70, after a period of
roughly two years (Case G). From Table I of the enclosed reprint it will
be noted that the radium in the lung relative to that in the total body
diminishes with time.
Evidence obtained from Case G at 2h1 and 26 days,
at which time the patient was lying on his side and was scannec| from
front to back, indicates considerable radium concentration in the sternum
and backbone (Fig. 8 in the reprint). From the scanning curves more than
90% of the radium detected when scanning the lung on these dates actually
appears to be in the skeleton. This implies that at least part of the
radium listed as being "Lung radium" in the earlier measurements may
actually be in bone,
Thus the value of .69 for the Rn/Total Ra ratio in
Case G may indicate the absence of radium in the lung, all the body radium
being present in the skeleton, If this supposition is true, then the
radium deposited in the lung has been eliminated at the end of two years.
This does not imply merely a translocation of radium from the lung to
bone, as the bulk of radium removed from the lung is excreted.
The radium retention in the lung as a function of time appears to
have a slope greater than -1,0, which is somewnat peculiar benavior for
radium in vivo,
The half life in the lung varies from 25 days, a few
days after inhalation, to about 100 days some 300 days after inhalation,
The enclosed table of Case G represents the longest period for which
data are presently available (1012 days). It is hoped that the Cincinnati
people may be measured again within the next few weeks. If so, then the
data may be extended to approximately 5 years.
If we may furnish anyéafPner data we would be most pleased to do so.
*
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Respectfully yours,
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Philip
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Division of Biological
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