Equipment and Technique in Precision Rotation Roentgen Therapy

It was in the late nineteen-thirties that physical, mathematical and clinical trials were carried out on rotation therapy notably, inter alios, by DESSAUER, LION and MUTHEREM (1), NAKAIDZUMI and MIYAKAWA (7, 8), and DU MESNIL DE ROCHEMONT (5, 6). These were prompted by physical considerations suggesting that clinical advantages might be expected in treatment by substituting conventional multiple field therapy by this method. The experience acquired during the next few years, particularly at a number of European clinics, showed that the expectations had not been unwarranted. It was found that at equivalent tumour dosages the patients tolerated rotation therapy better than treatment by the multiple field technique, and that better palliative results were obtained. Moreover, improved curative results were reported, mainly by GYNNING (3) from the Jubilee Clinic at Lund, where EDLING (2) in 1942 installed a rotation therapy unit with which HULTBERG was working during the first year. Following a proposal put forward by HULTBERG, an experimental equipment for rotation therapy was installed at Radiumhemmet during 1950. From March to October 1951 this equipment was temporarily in clinical use and valuable experience was gained. In May 1951, DAHL visited clinics at Erlangen, Copenhagen, and Lund in order to study rotation therapy. We are greatly indebted to our colleagues at these clinics, whose experience was valuable in the preparatory work which followed. The present equipment for rotation therapy at Radiumhemmet