Just a question that has been in my head. In 1964 (I was 7yrs), I was treated for hearing loss in my left ear. I've come to find, but have no proof(the dr. is deceased and no records can be found) that I was given nasopharyngeal radium irradiation at that time. They did take my tonsiles and adenoids out also. Just curious if anyone out there has had this done when they were younger? I've read some articles, but not many about this procedure and they have done studies of the after affects. I wasn't able to find anything on this site about it. Could this contributed to my SCC @ base of tongue? I asked the drs. and they said maybe. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Interesting. I am older...born 1943...had radiation to throat as a child for "swollen glands." About 20 years ago, at the age of 40+, I was advised to have a radioactive thyroid scan because of these treatments. Recent studies (at that time) showed that there was an increase in thyroid cancer in patients who received these treatments as children. I had the scan, which showed a "cold nodule." I had a partial thyroidectomy, and the nodule was benign. Now I wonder, like you do, if this treatment could have had any causative effect on my oral cancer. Mine was SCC on the upper right maxilla and hard palate, so I don't know if the radiation treatments would have affected that area or not, depending, of course, on how careful they were with their aim and the size of their "beam."

I will keep up with this thread, since I am still at a loss to determine the cause of my cancer.

I don't think that they were still doing that treatment as late as 1964 (but it may have lingered as some doctors probably didn't get the message). In was mainly in the early to late 50's that they were using the radium sticks. Many that had the procedure have had severe health conequences. Johns Hopkins was a key player and innovator of this therapy which puts light on some of the darker side of cancer research and their otherwise stellar history (and they have allegedly attempted to cover it up).

This was a very interesting subject to me as the local hospital (Mills in San Mateo Ca) where I was treated also employed the procedure for a number of years. It may have been done on me and they will not produce the records or return my calls. Like linroth my pediatrician died years ago.

More info about this most disturbing experiment under the guise of a "standard of medical care":

Hopkins experiments on children:

See: http://baltimorechronicle.com/rupnose.html

http://www.citypaper.com/news/story.asp?id=4962

experiments on Veterans:

http://www.aracnet.com/~pdxavets/radium.htm

NIH info:

http://rex.nci.nih.gov/massmedia/backgrounders/naso.htm

CDC info:

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/nri/patientinfo.htm

Thanks for the replies. August, I also was told I had nodules on my thyroid when I was about 34yrs. old. Did the radioactive scan, and I was told mine was "cold nodules". Had this done two yrs. in a row.
They didn't do anything further, but told me to watch for an enlarged thyroid. Nothing showed up on the pet scan I was given this yr. when I found out I had SCC. They did these treatments also in the 40's I have read. And yes, Brian, I did have this done in 1964. Maybe we're a little behind the times back here in "smalltown PA". Thanks for the sites,I will definetly be looking at these. I was just curious if anyone else out there with head and neck cancer had this done as a child. Don't you think it's odd that we can't get any records of this being done to us?? Maybe the doctor's took it to their graves.... It's a very interesting subject to me. Again thanks for the replies..

Gary, Hey, sorry, I called you Brian in my post. I think it's the "chemo brain" kicking in!!! They say it will mess with the brain... Thanks Gary, just finished looking at the sites. How come no one has called me, and found out how I am doing in this stage of my life, since they did this to me????? I guess there was no follow-up on my experiment! Have a good day!

I suspect that the hospital risk managers had them shred the records. In some states now, like MA they are required to keep medical records for life. I first got wind of this several years ago. You've heard of politics gone bad, religion gone bad well this is medicine gone bad. Right up there with the unshielded x-ray machines for fitting shoes. Can you believe that they actually found a working one in a shoe store as late as 1981!!!!

http://www.mtn.org/quack/devices/shoexray.htm

another fun link:

http://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/shoefittingfluor/shoe.htm

OH My Goodness!! I just read the sites about the x-ray for shoe size. What were these people thinking back then? Apparently they thought radiation was the next best thing to sliced bread! Makes me wonder what else was going on when we were growing up.. and is this why we hear so much about different cancers today?? I know we can't change the past, but thank goodness these things aren't used today. (well, I'm sure there's stuff out there that we don't know about). I'm all for new technology, but not for using children and servicemen and unsuspecting people as guinea pigs! Have a good day!

If you liked the shoe machine you'll love this one! Radium water and etc.

http://www.mtn.org/quack/devices/radium.htm

http://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/quackcures/quackcures.htm

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/bbdb0b4511b84010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html

I'm sitting here smiling and shaking my head at the screen. I guess people will believe anything! I like this quote that they said was in The American Journel of Clinical Medicine,"Radioactivity prevents insanity, rouses noble emotions, retards old age, and creates a splendid youthful joyous life." Tell that to the guy in Pitts. who drank that water, and he died of radium poisoning back then!!! Thanks for giving me something to do this evening. I have more reading to do!

Oh Boy- no telling how many of those shoe size x-rays and I have about 60 pieces of Fiesta that we use all the time. Guess I am in big trouble. Amy